Will's Girl Part Duex
by Roxanne Wright
Summary: Continuation of Will's Girl - **Chapter 32 Syd & Jess talk**
1. The Set Up

Will's Girl 

**Disclaimer:** Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone.  Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines.  I claim rights only to Jess Anderson.  No harm intended.

**Rating:** PG for mild language.

**Feedback:** Make my day – leave me a review.

**Author's Note:** I have no knowledge of what CIA training is like, and I haven't done any research on it.  Please pardon any misinformation.  One important assumption that I'm making is that all CIA operatives and officers have a cover –they cannot tell anybody the truth about their employer.

Can you believe that it took 14 chapters to get Will into the story? And, I recently changed Jess' cover name from Adrienne Steadman to Rory McAllister. I think I got all the changes, but if you see Adrienne, just read Rory.  Thanks for sticking with me!

**Guys, I don't know what is going on with the site, but the only way I could get my new chapters uploaded was to create a new story. So, I'll be adding new chapters here to avoid frustration.**

Chapter Fourteen – The Set Up 

Will was waiting in Vaughn's office when he got into work that Friday.  "What good is an office if you don't hang anything on the walls, man?" he asked Vaughn with a smile.

"Are you after my job or something?" Vaughn asked with a laugh.  He reached out his hand to Will.  "Good to see you, Will."

"You too," Will said as they shook hands. 

Vaughn grabbed Will's CIA badge that was hanging around his neck on a lanyard.  "Look at you, all CIA official," Vaughn said.  Will smiled nervously.  "How does it feel?"  Vaughn moved around behind his desk, sat down, and motioned for Will to have a seat as well.

"Honestly? A little scary."

"A little scary?" Vaughn repeated.

"Okay, I'm terrified."

Vaughn smiled sympathetically.  "Nothing wrong with that, Will.  You will probably never be totally rid of that particular emotion."

"Thanks for putting me at ease on my first day, man," Will said sarcastically.

Vaughn smiled again.  "Honestly, Will, you're going to be a great operative."  Vaughn logged onto his computer, pulled up Will's file, and used his decryption key to make the file readable.  "I mean, your training was text book.  Top of your class in shooting and on written exams… in the top five in physical endurance… every training mission successful…" Vaughn looked away from the computer and looked at Will.  "You missed your calling the first time.  Now you're home."

Will relaxed a little for the first time in weeks.  

After a brief silence, Vaughn got up, walked to his office door and closed it.  He returned to his chair and pulled an expandable file folder from a drawer.  He looked at Will, "So, how did your training cover go?"

"Good.  I emailed the story installments each week and I called my editor every other," Will said.

"Yes, I've been following your series on bike riding through Europe.  It's just fascinating.  I can't wait to see how it ends," Vaughn said with a sly smile.

"Me too," Will said with the same sly smile.

Vaughn reached into the file folder, pulled out a document, and slid it across the desk to Will.  "Here's the last installment in the series.  Take it and re-write it to be yours just like you did with the others."  Will nodded.

Vaughn gave Will another, much larger, document.  "These are notes on all the places that you 'visited'.  Facts that should help you answer any questions that your co-workers, friends, or family might have."  Will nodded again as he took the document.

"And," Vaughn said as he reached into a drawer and pulled out a sack, "Here are the photos you took.  You should get familiar with these too."

"So, there goes my weekend," Will said.

Vaughn chuckled, "You'll need to get used to that."

"I know," Will sighed, "It's more than just a job."

"Yeah it is.  And you really need to keep that in mind.  We have arranged for you to return to your previous life, so it might be difficult for you to separate what your life used to be and what it is now.

"Above all, Will, you're a CIA agent.  Your life depends on you maintaining your cover.  We know that SD-6 was monitoring you before, and they will probably continue as long as you are in Sydney's life."  Will nodded.  

"Now that you've dropped your investigation of SD-6, they shouldn't be nearly as interested in you.  But if they ever suspected that you were working for us . . . well . . ."

"Got it," Will said not wanting to hear Vaughn say the words.

"Now, Irina and her boys, Sark and Khasinea, that's a different story.  We have no idea of their whereabouts or their plans.  They're still after Sydney, so that puts you at risk just by association," Vaughn said.

"Swell," Will said.

"Knowing these specific threats and the more general threats that come with the job, are you sure that you want to continue with this?"  Vaughn asked.

Will didn't hesitate, "Yes, I'm sure." 

Vaughn smiled, "Good."  He reached into the expandable folder again and pulled out a cell phone.  "This is your new cell phone.  It's secure and totally untraceable.  You have a new number, and you should restrict the number of people you give it to.  And don't list it anywhere."  Will took the phone and looked it over.  "This is how I will contact you; and if you ever want out, for whatever reason, you should use this phone to call me.  You have my cell number memorized, right?"  Will nodded.

After a pause, Vaughn continued, "Do you have any concerns about me being your handler?"

"No," Will replied.

"Good.  Now, we've nearly got your cover in place.  Your boss is expecting you to arrive at LAX this afternoon.  Sydney will meet you at the airport.  

"It is very important that you never speak to Sydney about the CIA or SD-6 unless you're certain that you are in a secured environment.  Not at her house, not at your place.  Definitely not in public."

"Understood," Will said.

"We'll be meeting as a team at least once a week in a secure location.  You can discuss anything you need to there.  I will call you the day of the meeting to let you know the time.  We'll be meeting in a room above a bar called 'The Office'.  There's access to the room from a back alley.  I'll show you the location on our way to the airport this afternoon.

"In addition, if there is a reason to meet in between the weekly briefings, I'll contact you, and if you need to meet, you call me.  Okay?" Vaughn asked.  Will nodded.

"Back to today," Vaughn continued.  "Sydney will take you to your apartment.  You guys should do whatever you would have done prior to all this – act like nothing has changed.  The same goes for the rest of the weekend.  We did a sweep of your apartment, and it's clean… for the time being at least.  You can relax there."

"Good," Will said.

"Your boss expects you in the office on Monday with the final installment from Europe.  We have another agent undercover at the paper to watch your back during the day," Vaughn said.

"Ugh.  What a boring assignment that would be," Will said.

"What are you talking about?  You have that **same** assignment," Vaughn said.  Will smiled.  Vaughn continued, "We're also setting up an undercover agent as your girlfriend."

"What?" Will was genuinely surprised.

"We're putting an agent in place as your girlfriend," Vaughn repeated.  "Her function will be two-fold.  She'll be able to protect you pretty much anytime you're not at the paper, and she will mentor you.  You need to spend as much time as possible with her."

"Another boring assignment," Will joked.

"Actually, Agent Anderson is looking forward to this boring assignment.  She just returned from an extremely dangerous two-year op.  She's our top female agent and has the most undercover experience.  You'll learn a lot from her."

Vaughn took a moment to study Will.  He had no idea what he was in for.  "Were you ever in any plays in high school or college?" Vaughn asked.

"I did a few in high school," Will said clearly confused at the direction of the conversation.

"Good.  Going undercover is a lot like acting.  When you're in public with Agent Anderson, you have to act like you are dating.  Hold hands.  Hug.  Kiss.  The whole thing."  Vaughn was having trouble proceeding with the conversation.  He could not believe he was actually telling another man to kiss his girlfriend.  "You have to make it seem like the two of you are crazy for each other.  

"And in the beginning, you two need to be seen together in public a lot.  You need to establish for everyone out there that your relationship is real.  If anybody is still watching you, they will increase their efforts when you first start seeing her…  that's standard surveillance procedure."

Will suddenly had an image of one of his hand-to-hand combat instructors… a substantial woman who possessed more testosterone than most men he knew.  He imagined what it would be like to kiss her.  With a small shudder, Will banished the image from his mind.  "I'll do my best," he said meekly.

"This undercover op will be different from most in the fact that you will not have to maintain the cover 24-7.  We're setting Agent Anderson up in a CIA house, complete with the best surveillance equipment we've got.  If anybody suddenly becomes interested in you two, we'll know about it.

"So, whenever you and Jess, uh, Agent Anderson are at the house, you can be yourself.  Truly yourself."  Will considered the significance of that statement.

Vaughn pulled Will out of his thoughts, "We've never really addressed the question of whether you're interested in active duty outside of your old life," Vaughn said.  Will wrinkled his brow a little confused again.  "I mean, are you interested in participating in missions that don't have any relation to the paper or SD-6?"

Will was back to being nervous, "Yes, I would like to try.  I'm not sure if I can really handle it though.  I mean, it's a huge leap from reporter to active CIA agent."

"I understand, Will.  But, if you have the interest in working small missions, I support you.  Between your performance in training and our trip to Taipei, I believe that you have what it takes to run successful missions.  

"But, you really do have to want to do it.  You have to be passionate about your job… your mission.  If not, someone is likely to get hurt," Vaughn cautioned.

Will was quite for a moment as he thought about what he had been through in Taipei and how angry he was that SD-6 had stolen the most important things in his life.  "Yes, I want to be an active agent," Will said resolutely.

"Excellent," Vaughn said with a reserved smile.  "I'm going to give you some time to get settled undercover with Agent Anderson, and then I'll look for some short missions for the two of you."

Will nodded comforted by the fact that this Agent Anderson was supposedly so experienced.

"So, are you ready to meet her?" Vaughn asked.

"Who?" Will asked a wave of panic prickling through his body.

"Agent Anderson."

"I guess so," Will said.

Vaughn picked up the phone and dialed an number.  "We're ready," he said into the receiver and then hung up.

Vaughn could see that Will was nervous.  "Relax, Will.  You'll enjoy working with Anderson… she'll take care of you."  

Will did his best to smile.  Nothing in training had prepared him for this.

*****

There was a knock on the door and it immediately opened, not waiting for a response from Vaughn.  Weiss walked in to the office followed by Jess.  Vaughn stood up, and Will followed suit.

Vaughn took care of the introductions, "Will, you remember Weiss . . ."  Will nodded and shook his hand.  "And, this is Agent Jessica Anderson.  Jess, meet Agent Will Tippin."

Will was momentarily speechless as he looked at Jess.  She certainly wasn't anything like his instructor.  He looked her up and down as discretely as possible.  He reached out to shake her hand.  "Wow," Will said and then quickly corrected himself.  "I mean, hi."  Will's cheeks were flooded with pink as Weiss and Vaughn smiled.

Jess smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Will."

Vaughn and Weiss headed to the small table near the window.  Jess closed the door, went to the table and sat down next to Weiss.  Will followed, still at a loss for words.

"So," Vaughn addressed Weiss and Jess, "How did the audition go?"

Jess nodded her head, "I've pretty much got the gig.  The owner just wants me to do a set on Sunday night to see if his customers take to me."

"So, guess what we're all doing on Sunday night?" Weiss looked around at Vaughn and Will.

Vaughn filled Will in on Anderson's cover.  They already had her identity established.  Her name would be Rory McAllister.  She had inherited a significant amount of money when her husband died.  While she didn't really need to work, she would be working days at a mom and pop music store just three blocks from the Times building.  

A friend of Weiss' had tipped them on an opening for a female singer at a small club, named 'Downtown'.  Knowing that Jess enjoyed singing and had minors in piano and voice from Georgetown, Weiss arranged for an audition.  The job, working three or four nights a week, would make the operation more enjoyable for her and would also create the perfect situation for Will and her to connect.

Will did the best he could to concentrate on what Vaughn was saying, but he was totally distracted by Jess.  He kept sneaking peeks at her out of the corner of his eye.  Her long, auburn hair was pulled back in a thick, lustrous ponytail.  Her green eyes sparkled.  When she smiled, Will's breath caught in his throat.  She was wearing a brown, form-fitting suit with a delicate, ivory colored blouse.  Occasionally Jess would meet his gaze and smile; Will would smile politely and quickly look away.  Besides Sydney, he had never been so immediately attracted to a woman.

"So, we'll all go to the club on Sunday," Weiss said pulling Will back into the conversation at hand, "And make sure that the other customers enjoy Jess' performance."

"And you should invite as many people as you can," Vaughn said to Will.  "We want the people in your life to witness your burgeoning relationship."

"It is very important that you connect with Jess Sunday night at the club," Weiss said, "Just incase she doesn't get the job."

Will felt a little embarrassed, "How am I supposed to, uh, connect?"

Weiss smiled knowingly at Jess, "How would you normally hit on a woman?  Do that… do whatever comes naturally."

"See, there's the problem.  Usually when I hit on a woman I end up striking out," Will said with a sheepish smile.

Weiss chuckled, "Well, I can guarantee you that Jess, uh, I mean Rory, will not play hard to get."

Vaughn was getting tired of the good-natured teasing centered around his girlfriend.  "You two need to . . ." Once Jess made eye contact with Vaughn, he was unable to complete his sentence.

Weiss quickly picked up for him, "You two need to get cozy quickly, and Will needs to move into the house ASAP."

"Speaking of the house," Jess said, "Are you sure it's a good idea to set this up in a house next to you?" she asked Vaughn.

"Actually," Vaughn said defensively, "I think it's a **great** idea.  No one knows I'm CIA.  We will be able to keep in contact with casual neighborly activities, and if anything serious goes down, I'll be right there."

Will watched Jess; her face was skeptical.  "And Devlin is aware of this?  He's approved it?" she asked.

"He actually convinced Devlin that we couldn't do this op any other way," Weiss laughed.  "Balls of steel."

As Jess smiled at first Weiss then Vaughn, Will realized that he was an outsider on an inside joke.  The thought crossed his mind that he just might be an outsider in more ways than one.


	2. Full House

Will's Girl 

**Disclaimer:** Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone.  Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines.  No harm intended.

**Rating:** PG for mild language.

**Feedback:** Welcomed, especially if you like the story enough for me to keep writing it.

**Author's Note:** I have little knowledge of the CIA.  Pardon any misinformation.  One important assumption that I'm making is that all CIA operatives and officers have a cover –they cannot tell anybody the truth about their employer. And, I recently changed Jess' cover name from Adrienne Steadman to Rory McAllister. If I missed any Adriennes, please read Rory. Thanks!

**Chapter Fifteen – Full House** _Two Babes and the Three Men that Love Them_

 "Where is she?" Vaughn barked impatiently.

"Relax, man.  She'll be here," Weiss said.  "She had a rehearsal for Sunday night."

"Rehearsal?" Vaughn questioned suspiciously.

"Yeah, she's not doing the set _alone_.  She's working with two musicians that already perform at the club," Weiss explained.

Vaughn, Weiss, Will, and Sydney were waiting for Jess in the warehouse where Vaughn and Sydney usually met.  Sydney had been brought up to speed on the plan for Sunday night and then after that, the four of them fell into an uneasy silence.

Vaughn was so jittery it took every ounce of self-control just to sit still on his crate.  The impending separation from Jess was looming over him like a storm cloud.  He had one more day to be with her and then she would be gone from his life again.  He would still see her, but Vaughn was no longer convinced that was going to be a good thing.  He wondered if he could stand by and watch Jess develop a relationship with another man.  Even though it was not truly a romantic relationship, it would be a partnership.  And the bond between partners in the field could be just as intense as a romantic bond.  The way he so easily followed Sydney to Taipei had proved that.

Vaughn turned his attention to Sydney, and allowed himself to do something he didn't often do.  He let his eyes take in every bit of her, from her silky brown hair to the tips of her two-inch heels.  He marveled for the hundredth time that someone so tough could be so elegant.  His eyes slowly followed the line of the slit in her long, black skirt.  He took careful note of the way her legs were crossed at the ankles, and how her slender calf muscles contracted as she casually swung her long legs.  The soft, pink sweater reflected on her face, giving her an alluring glow.  As Vaughn's eyes moved over her face, he realized that Sydney had caught him staring at her.  He immediately felt guilty and turned his gaze towards the floor.  

Vaughn was overcome with guilt, but not because Sydney had caught him.  He felt like his wife was coming to meet his mistress.  His two worlds were going to collide, and he wasn't sure there would be any survivors.

Weiss was sad.  He liked having Jess around again.  And he was concerned about her.  Maybe no one else could tell that Raven Song was still haunting her, but he could.  Weiss also knew that this assignment could have a high emotional toll on Jess… and Vaughn… and Sydney.  Hell, the only person that it didn't pose a threat to was Will.  After more consideration, Weiss decided that Will also was in emotional jeopardy.  How could he spend that much time with an incredible woman like Jess and not develop feelings for her?  Weiss shook his head sadly.

Sydney's mind was cluttered.  For reasons she wouldn't admit even to herself, she was feeling threatened.  And when she was threatened, she naturally became combative.  This was the woman that she had encouraged Vaughn to give another chance.  This woman had felt Vaughn's kisses, and received his love.  This woman would soon be a bigger part of Will's life than she was.  And, from what her father said, this woman was very good at her job.  For Will's sake, Sydney had to like Jess, but yet how could she when she was competing against Jess on every level?  Sydney decided that she would say as little as possible during the briefing.  

Will looked down at his hands as they fidgeted nervously in his lap.  The entire day had been surreal.  Returning to his old life was more difficult than he anticipated.  The things he had witnessed in the last months were life changing.  

And Jess… Will had a hard time getting her out of his mind.  She intimidated him.  Why did they have to choose an agent of her caliber?  In training, instructors had joked about "super spies" – agents that could practically catch bullets, vanish into thin air, and return from the dead.  Will was fairly certain that Jess fit into that category.

He looked up at Sydney briefly.  He knew that Sydney was a super-spy too, but since he had known her since college, before SD-6 had recruited her, he didn't feel intimidated by her.  He looked back down at his hands.  

Will pictured Jess from the meeting that morning: her hair… her eyes… the smile… the grace.  Why did she have to be so beautiful?  He thought back the  instructor he first pictured when Vaughn told him of the plan.  Will was certain that in many ways he would have been safer with _that_ woman.

The door of the warehouse opened and closed bringing all four sets of eyes up and focused in the direction of the door.  "Back here, Jess," Weiss called.

Silently, she appeared at the gate of the cage where they were gathered.  In stark comparison to Sydney, Jess was wearing a navy tank sweater, faded Levis, and a pair of white canvas mules.  Their collective gaze was so intense that Jess did a quick shoulder check to see if there was someone else coming up behind her.  She stopped abruptly just inside the cage and looked at Weiss.  "What?" she asked.

Weiss gave her a big smile, "You're late."

"I'm sorry about that, but the club owner pulled out a couple of songs at the last minute that he wants us to work up for Sunday night."

"I hope he's paying you for this," Weiss commented sarcastically.

"Yeah, all the alcohol I can drink, and all the lecherous stares that I can handle," Jess replied with the same sarcasm.

Weiss chuckled as he got up off his crate.  "Jess, this is Sydney Bristow.  Sydney, this is Jess Anderson.  You two are going to be seeing a lot of each other the next few months."

"Nice to meet you, Sydney," Jess said shaking Sydney's hand.

"My pleasure, really," Sydney replied.  "I've heard a lot about you."  As Jess shot a questioning look at Vaughn, Sydney wondered if Jess knew how much Vaughn had confided in her.  "And I want to thank you for the warning on that mission."

Jess smiled warmly.  "I'm glad everything worked out."

Weiss sat back down on his crate, and Jess took a place next to him.  She kicked off her mules and pulled her legs up to the crate and crossed them.  Jess nodded a reserved greeting to Vaughn and then smiled at Will and said, "Hey Will."

"Rory," Will nodded a greeting.

"Good idea, Will," Weiss said.  "We should all start addressing Jess as Rory."  Everybody nodded agreement. 

"Okay, lets get on with this," Vaughn said, having a low tolerance for the glances that Will and Jess were sharing.  "How did things go at the airport?" he asked Will and Sydney.

"Good," Sydney said.  "I made one SD-6 tracker, but that was it."

"Not so good for me," Will commented.  "I had to file a claim for my lost luggage."

Everyone laughed knowing that Will didn't have any luggage to loose.

"Hey, Tippin," Weiss said, "**I'm** the resident funny man."  Everyone except Vaughn laughed again. Vaughn was having a hard time embracing the spontaneous camaraderie of the group.

"Plans for tonight?" Vaughn asked Will.

"I'm gonna spend some time over at Syd's and then go home."

"Good," Vaughn said.  "We've got a unit near your apartment.  They'll be there every night until you make your move to Jess', uh," Vaughn shot a look at Jess, "I mean, Rory's house."

Vaughn addressed Jess,  "Speaking of your house, Rory," Vaughn drug out her new name sarcastically, "You'll be moving in tomorrow?"

"Uh-huh," Jess nodded.  "I think the movers got most of the stuff there today… just waiting for me and my personal effects."  After a brief pause, Jess said, "Can you brief me on the security and surveillance procedures for the house?"

"Yeah, sure," Vaughn said.  "We've put sensors on all the doors and windows.  If anybody tries to force entry, an alarm will go off at the command center.  The locks on the doors are the most secure known to the consumer market.  Only five keys exist.  You have two – one for you and one to give to Will when he…" Vaughn stumbled momentarily, "Moves in.  I have one, Weiss has one, and one will be kept at the command center.  

"The keys look like most metal keys, but they are actually a combination of metal and magnetic coding.  The lock will search for the embedded magnetic code.  If a key or any other device that does not have the code is put into the lock, an alarm will go off at the command center, and a team will be there in less than ten minutes."  Jess nodded her approval.

Vaughn continued, "The garage door is secured with a keypad."  Vaughn reached down into his briefcase and brought out a large kraft envelope.  He pulled out two business cards, wrote down the eight-digit combination on each card, and handed one card to Jess and one to Will.  "As always, memorize the combination, and shred the card.  You'll also need…" Vaughn reached into the envelope again and pulled out a bracelet and a watch.  "These…" he handed the bracelet to Jess and the watch to Will.  "Again, these are magnetically coded and will be scanned by the garage keypad.  If anybody attempts to use the keypad without one of those, the command center will send a team in."

Will turned the watch over in his hands, "What, no Rolex?"

As Sydney and Jess giggled, Weiss pointed a finger at Will and spoke in a stern voice, "Tippin, I'm warning you…!"

Vaughn tried to ignore them and continued, "The only surveillance will be provided by several cameras throughout the house and on the grounds.  Video only, they are meant to capture images of anyone who might break into or be snooping around the house."

"Uh, exactly how many cameras are there, and in which rooms?" Jess asked suspiciously.

"Worried about your privacy?" Weiss teased.  "You've got nothing that those boys at the command center haven't seen before."

"Just the same, I'm not thrilled with the idea of my shower becoming a water cooler topic," Jess said.  Will comically turned his head and looked at Jess with wide eyes as if the thought of her showering was something he had not considered. 

"There are no cameras in the bedrooms or bathrooms," Vaughn stated.

"Any surveillance teams?" Jess asked.

"We have teams monitoring it right now, and we'll keep them on it for about a week after Will moves in.  After that, there will be no direct surveillance," Vaughn said.

"Except from your house," Jess pointed out.  Vaughn gave Jess an angry stare.  He felt as if she were challenging him.

"Yes, direct surveillance could be done from my house, but there are no plans to do that unless something goes wrong."

Sydney looked back and forth between Vaughn and Jess as they stared at each other.  It was news to her that Jess and Will would be living next to Vaughn.  "Oh, Vaughn," she thought sadly, "You're just setting yourself up for more heartache."


	3. Goodbye Again

Will's Girl 

**Disclaimer:** Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone.  Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines. Jess is my only creation.  No harm intended.

**Rating:** PG for mild language, mild sexual situations.

**Feedback:** Make my day -- please leave a review!

**Author's Note:** You don't have to be a CIA officer to figure out that I don't know much about LA and it's neighborhoods or roads.  Please forgive me again for not researching.  

Chapter Sixteen – Goodbye Again 

"This is already too complicated," Jess said to herself as she drove the gold Maxima into a public parking deck in downtown LA.  She parked next to her silver BMW, and switched cars.  She would be back in the morning – Saturday morning – to switch cars again, drive back to Vaughn's neighborhood and pretend to move in to the house behind him.

As was her training, Jess made note of the cars and the few people that she saw during the switch.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  She drove the BMW out of the parking deck, and proceeded towards Vaughn's house.  It would take her at least 20 minutes longer than necessary to get there because she needed to make sure that no one was following her.

When she got to Vaughn's, she found him on the patio with take-out Chinese food and a bottle of wine.  As she slid the patio door open, he turned and smiled at her.

He was eating the food directly out of the container using chopsticks.  "Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer.  I'm starving!"

"It's okay," she said walking over to kiss him.  She flopped down on the lounge chair next to him.  "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Oh no you don't!"  Vaughn got out of his chair and knelt down beside her.  "You are going to eat something!"  Jess smiled as Vaughn held out a bite of chicken and lo mein noodles for her.  She knew that he was still worried about her weight.  

As she took the bite of food Vaughn asked, "What took you so long?"

"I thought I had a tail," Jess responded after swallowing her food.

"What?" Vaughn asked.  "Jess, you're not even undercover yet.  What makes you think somebody was tailing you?"

"I know, I know… I've been doing this job so long I've become paranoid.  But I swear the last couple of days I've seen the same dark blue Town Car way too often to just be coincidence."

Vaughn offered her more food.  "How long was it following you tonight?"

"I first noticed him on Crenshaw.  He followed me on to the I-10, but I exited early and lost him in the theater traffic."

Vaughn looked at her thoughtfully.  He dug back into the food with the chopsticks and brought some up for her.  "I don't think that…" Vaughn suddenly lost control of the chopsticks dropping the food down Jess' sweater.  "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Jess laughed as she started pulling the noodles off, "You never were very good with those things!"  

Vaughn looked at the mess he had made and smiled mischievously.  He put down the box, grabbed both her wrists and pulled her hands towards him.  "Here, let me get that for you," he said playfully as he leaned into her, took his tongue and ran it from the top of her tank sweater, up to her neck.  Despite her protests that he was tickling her, Vaughn continued.  Jess started flailing about so much that Vaughn climbed onto the lounge and pinned her down by straddling her legs.  He pulled her hands down to her waist so that he had better access to her.  He knew that she could have thrown him off at any time, and the fact that she did not encouraged him all the more. 

Feeling her writhe under him as she giggled made his thoughts turn from playing to passion.  He started kissing her along the edge of her sweater then slowly moved up towards her neck.  He felt the tension in her body change and felt her warmth surround him.  When his lips found her ear, he paused, millimeters from her, and whispered, "I need you, Jess."

He pulled back to look at her and saw desire in her eyes.  He devoured her with kisses until she begged him to make love to her.  He stopped and just gazed at her trying to memorize the way she looked at that moment – the way her lust for him was manifested in her heavy-lidded eyes, in the twitch of her lips, the catch in her breath.  Soon she would be gone, and he wanted to remember her this way.

Vaughn pulled her hands up to his face and kissed each one softly then clutched them against his chest.  When he finally released her hands, she immediately tugged at his shirt, searching for his bare chest.  He accommodated her by taking of his shirt.

As Jess ran her hands along his shoulders and down his chest, he easily undid her button fly jeans.  She grabbed his hands.  "Mike, what about the neighbors?" she asked breathlessly.

"I don't care about the neighbors," he said as he slid his hands up under her sweater and kissed her until he had taken her breath away entirely.  He moved his lips to her ear again and whispered, "Do **you** really care about the neighbors, Jess?"

Jess was moaning softly.  "I don't give a damn about the neighbors," she replied.  She put her hands on his face and pulled him into another long kiss.  

They made desperate love to each other.  They connected so completely that the entire world seemed to disappear.  They were the beginning and the end.  It was the first time that either one of them had experienced spiritual sex.

*****

Vaughn lay on top of her, resting his head on her chest.  They hadn't spoken a word, but it was obvious that they were thinking about the same thing.

"Tell me we're doing the right thing, Jess." Vaughn said softly.

His request surprised her.  She had been the one that questioned the op at every step.  After a few moments consideration, Jess said, "We're doing the right thing for the company, and we're doing the right thing for Will."

Vaughn was quiet for a while.  "And what about us?" he asked.

"I don't know, Mike."

*****

The next day Jess was busy pretending to move into her new house.  She took a break and wandered out to the garden.  She sat down on a bench under an arbor covered with pink climbing roses.  Dwarf lilac bushes, roses in every color, sunflowers, deep purple clematis, and dozens of other flowering plants created an outdoor room.  Jess smiled.  This was going to be her favorite room.

Or maybe not.  Jess looked over at Vaughn's yard.  She had seen him and Donovan puttering around.  Trimming bushes, cleaning the grill, spraying weed killer.  It was highly suspicious.  She studied him.  He was barefoot and wearing a loose white t-shirt and tan shorts.  She enjoyed watching his athletic body as he worked.  When he started washing windows, she laughed.  "No plans for direct surveillance…" she repeated Vaughn's words from the briefing.

"Hi there!"  Jess' thoughts were interrupted by a male voice coming from the yard next to hers.  Jess got up and turned to find a man in his late 30s smiling at her.

"Hi," Jess replied.

"So, you're the lucky one that landed this house," he said as she approached him.

"Yes, that would be me."

"I'm Brad Robinson," he said as he extended his hand.  "I'm pleased to meet you."

Jess shook his hand as she took note of his features.  He was 6' 4", with a sturdy build, deep blue eyes, and nearly black hair.  He had an unusually, but not unattractive, pale complexion for a Californian.  He was wearing jean shorts, and a colorful bowling shirt that was hanging open, showing off his muscular chest and abs.  His cheesy smile was a warning to Jess that he was always on the look out for a new woman.

Taking his hand, Jess said, "I'm Rory McAllister."

Brad continued to hold her hand in his, "Rory, you remind me of my second wife."  His eyes traveled over her body.

Jess tried to laugh casually, "Oh, really?  How many times have you been married, exactly?"

"Once," he responded with another cheesy smile.  Jess forced another girlish laugh and pulled her hand away from him. He suddenly became serious, "I'm recently divorced."  Jess studied his sad expression trying to determine if he was sincere or not.

"Don't you believe him.  He's been divorced for over three years!"  Jess snapped her head around to see Vaughn and Donovan approaching them.

"But, I'm still emotionally vulnerable," Brad said like a bad soap opera actor.

"Hi, I'm Mike Vaughn," he shook her hand.

"Rory McAllister," Jess said playing her part.  Donovan had bounded happily up tried to get Jess to pet him.

"I just felt it was my duty to warn you about Brad, here.  He's the biggest hound in this neighborhood," Vaughn said.

"You're one to talk, Mike.  I've seen what's been going on at **your** house the past couple of weeks."  Vaughn immediately blushed.

Anxious to change the subject, Jess feigned interest in Brad, "So, Brad… no wife, no kids?"

"Just an ex-wife, and no kids -- we were smart enough not to bring kids into the mess that was our married life.  How about you, Rory?  Husband?  Kids?"

"Actually, I'm a widow.  And sadly, we never got the chance to have children," Jess said.

Usually finding out that she was a widow was enough to discourage a man from continuing, but it didn't faze Brad.  "Boyfriend?" he asked.

Jess discretely glanced at Vaughn and then back at Brad.  "No," she said sadly.

*****

That night, Jess was back at Vaughn's for one last night together.  He prepared a candlelight supper, and opened an expensive bottle of Cabernet Saivongon   They didn't dare sit out on the patio, knowing now that Brad had seen them together.  After they made love, Vaughn and Jess were lying naked on the couch.  Jess was lying between his legs with her back and head resting on his chest, and his arms wrapped protectively around her.

Jess ran her hands over Vaughn's strong arms,  "Mike?"

"Hmmm?" Vaughn replied resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Does Sydney know about us?"

Vaughn was thankful that Jess could not see his face.  He cursed himself for not telling her earlier.  Now it looked like he was trying to hide something.  "Yes, she does."

"How much?"

"She knows that we dated before Raven Song, and that we're dating now."

Jess was quiet for a moment.  "She knows about Raven Song?"

"No.  She only knows that you were undercover for two years.  Nothing more than that," Vaughn replied.

"What about Will?  Does he know anything about Raven Song?"

"No."

"Does he know anything about us?" she asked.

"No."  They sat in silence for a while.  "Do you think we should tell him?" Vaughn asked her.

"I'm not sure.  On one hand, it would make things a lot easier for **us** if he knew – we could be more at ease during briefings and meetings.  But on the other, Will might be intimidated knowing that he's putting the moves on your lover.  And, we certainly don't want any other agency employees knowing about us right now."

"I know that Will would be discrete about our relationship if we told him.  But, the intimidation thing concerns me.  He's already intimidated by you and by having to put on an act…" Vaughn was quiet as he thought things through.  "Then again, if he knows about us, he is less likely to fall in…" Vaughn stopped abruptly.  "Uh, start to believe that the act is real.  You know what I mean?"

"Yes, I understand.  You're jealous," Jess said playfully.

Vaughn started to protest and then softly said, "Of course I am."

Jess turned serious too, "Mike, maybe you shouldn't come to the club tomorrow night."

"Forget it, I'm going to be there.  Now, back to Will.  I do want to tell him, but let's wait until he moves into the house.  He doesn't need any extra pressure on him while you guys are establishing your relationship."

"Okay," Jess agreed.

The two of them ended up in bed after another round of athletic sex.  As they tried to fall asleep, Vaughn rolled over to spoon Jess.  "Jess, are you and Will going to, uh, do you think you'll be sleeping in the same bed?"

"Mike, why are you doing this?" Jess asked.  "You know as well as I do that it is safer for us to play the relationship out.  And that includes sleeping in the same bed."

"I know," Vaughn said softly.

"Do you, Mike?" Jess asked defiantly.  " I know that this op is different -- that Will and I don't have to maintain our cover 24 hours a day, but I'm not going to encourage that.  This is Will's first undercover assignment.  If he gets too comfortable relating to me as an agent, then he's more likely to break cover in public.  We can't afford that."

"I'm sorry, Jess.  I'm not questioning you.  I just… I just needed…"

"Just don't ask for any more detail than what you need as a handler.  Okay?" Jess asked.

Vaughn knew that she was giving him advice and not really asking a question.  He tried to block out the thought of Jess in bed with Will.  "You said that with Raven Song you had a bad feeling – like you weren't going to make it back."  Vaughn paused.

"Yeah…?" Jess said softly.

"Do you have any feelings like that with this op?"

Jess hesitated.  She decided to tell Vaughn what he wanted to hear.  "No," she said.  She wasn't lying, exactly.  She didn't feel like her life was in danger; but she did have a strong feeling that this op was going to change her life. 


	4. New Thing Now

Will's Girl 

**Disclaimer:** Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone.  Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines.  No harm intended.

**Rating:** G

**Feedback:** Make my day -- please leave a review!

**Author's Note: **The title of this chapter is from a Shawn Colvin song, as are the lyrics to the song at the end of the chapter.  The song is on her _A Few Small Repairs_ cd.  The version of _If_ that inspired the opening is on Jane Monheit's cd titled _Come Dream With Me.  
  
_Hope the use of Rory and Jess is not too confusing.  The only time she is refered to as Rory is when it is coming from a character the doesn't know her real purpose.

**Chapter Seventeen – New Thing Now**

The club, named Downtown, was a small, simple club.  Having seating for a maximum of 110 people, there were usually no more than 50 people on any given night.  The owner, Rex Hanson, stood at the end of the hallway that lead to the dressing rooms and office, and looked out over the crowd.  He hadn't seen this many people in his club for a long time.  The two waitresses were constantly busy, and Rex had to call in another bartender to help out John, the regular bartender.

Rex scheduled live music in his club seven nights a week.  He had contracted with several musicians and invited guest performers once each week.  The two contract musicians that were performing that night were a jazz pianist, named Quinn Jackson, and a drummer who was equally skilled in acoustic guitar, Guy Thompson.    
  


Rex maintained creative control over the music played in his club.  He had recently developed an appreciation of Shawn Colvin's music.  This led him to audition female singers.  The singer performing tonight, Rory McAllister, had the most potential.

"They're ready for you," Rex said as he moved aside and let the three musicians take the stage.  The stage was dark as Quinn took his place at the piano and Guy sat down at the drum set.  Very few patrons took notice as Jess walked up to the microphone.  

It was a sunken stage – each row of tables was elevated higher than the previous row to enable everyone a clear view of the stage.  This also allowed the musicians a clear view of the audience, at least until the spotlight came up.    
  


Jess looked out into the club.  She easily found Will sitting in the second row, center stage with Sydney, and several other people she did not recognize.  As she continued to scan the club, she noticed a few other CIA officers.  Weiss and Vaughn were sitting in the back row with two women.  Jess assumed that the women were CIA, but she did not know them.

Her eyes met with Vaughn's.  He was staring directly at her.  Her pulse quickened.  She was conflicted about his presence.  She enjoyed singing and wanted to share that with him.  But she knew that it was going to be difficult for him to witness her being somebody else.  This was going to be easier for her than for him.  She was used to playing a part.  She had plenty of experience putting her personal feelings aside for the sake of a mission.  Vaughn had little undercover experience and was in the habit of getting personally involved in his cases.  That was a deadly combination.

The first song was for him – she could only think of Vaughn when she sang it.  It was the song that she had sung at the audition – the one that had convinced Hanson to give her a try.  She would hold her focus on him, even after the spotlight came up; she would maintain her gaze in his direction, picturing him in her mind if she could not see him.  

The noise level in the club was quite high, but when Jess started singing the audience quieted immediately.  A soft, blue spotlight came up on her, gradually increasing and changing to eventually illuminate her in a soft white light.

Jess sang a jazz version of Jim Croce's classic ballad, _If_.  She began the song acappella – without instrumental accompaniment – soft and sultry.

_If a picture paints a thousand words  
Then why can't I paint you?  
When words will never show  
The you I've come to know  
  
_

Harry added the piano accompaniment.

_If a face can launch a thousand ships  
Then where am I to go?  
There's no one home but you  
You're all that's left me too  
  
_

Vaughn was holding his breath, taking in every detail of her.  She was dressed in a simple, short, black dress, sheer black hose, and black, strapy heels.  Her auburn hair fell in long, soft curls around her face, and came to rest on her shoulders.  Her emerald eyes never wavered from his.  Her full ruby lips moved seductively as she sang each word.  He knew that she had a good voice – she would sing when she was happy – but he never knew she could sing like this.  

Guy joined in with soft jazz percussion.

_And when my love for life  
Has all run out  
You come and pour  
Yourself on me  
  
_

Weiss noticed, of course, that Jess and Vaughn were locked in a visual embrace.  Normally Weiss would have chastised Vaughn but he doubted than anyone else in the club noticed.  He tried his best to enjoy the show and not worry about the mission.  He hadn't heard her sing since his wedding, and he had forgotten how her singing had made him feel.

_If a man could be two places  
At one time, I'd be with you  
Tomorrow and today  
Beside you all the way  
  
_

Will had brought enough friends and family to fill three tables.  He sat at the center table with Sydney on one side and his sister, Amy on the other.  Francie and her new boyfriend, Tony, filled the other two chairs.  The minute that Jess started singing, Will could not take his eyes off Jess.  He had already ranked her as one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, and that was before he had seen her in a sexy black dress with her hair spilling over her shoulders.  
  


Sydney had noticed the look in Will's eyes as he stared at Jess.  Normally, she would have been thrilled to see that Will was so interested in another woman.  But, this time, she only saw danger.  
  


_If the world should stop revolving  
Spinning slowly down to die  
I'd spend the end with you  
And when the world was through  
  
_

"How can I approach her and make a believable attempt to hit on her?" Will asked himself.  
  


_And one by one   
The stars would all go out  
And you and I would simply   
Fly away  
  
_

"What have I done?" Vaughn asked himself.

The applause at the end of the song was genuine and long lasting.

*****

The trio performed for an hour and a half.  Hanson slated a wide variety of music -- jazz standards, a country ballad, a duet for Quinn and Rory, a few folk tunes, and several Shawn Colvin songs.  
  


They finished the set with a Shawn Colvin song, of course.  Guy played the guitar as Jess sang:  
  


_This is your new thing now  
Naked as a rose  
Everything exposed  
But not quite  
This is your new thing now  
Cards out on the table  
A genius with no label  
But not quite, not quite  
  
_

_God, I swear it's good to be back home  
Waiting for the newest Rolling Stone  
All the other girls are still at war  
The best and worst of 1994  
Sometimes I see the half and not the whole  
Sometimes I see the face and not the soul  
Sometimes I think this place has no part  
For anyone who ever had a hear  
  
_

Will became more nervous as the show continued.  He knew that very soon he would have to make a move on her, and he still didn't know how he was going to do it.  He drank more beer than he had in the previous three months combined.  He had managed to lay some foundation for his upcoming performance.  He commented several times how beautiful she was.  At one point, between songs, Will said, "Why can't I meet a woman like **that**?"    
  


Sydney had helped him out saying "Will, you **can** meet a woman like that – just talk to her after the show."    
  


_This is your new thing now  
And it looks so good in print  
Just a poet and her pimps  
But not quite  
This is your new thing now  
A prom dress and a sneer  
The woman of the year  
But not quite, not quite  
  
_

_Gee, it's good to see a dream come true  
People smile and bless all over you  
Mixing up those latest junkie-isms  
And all the pretty terms of religion  
And don't you love the leader of the Band  
Equal parts butt-head and Peter Pan  
All the other kids are sad again  
A legend's not a legend 'til it ends  
  
_

Every song that Jess sang that night seemed to speak directly to Vaughn.  He tried to enjoy himself, but when he listened to the lyrics that she sang, his heart hurt – physically ached.  He pretended to be interested in the woman sitting to his right.  He drank more beer than he should have for a Sunday night.  He found no solace in either one.    
  


_This is your new thing now  
And it makes the whole world spin  
It's at least as old as sin  
But not quite  
This is your new thing now  
And now you're turning grinning  
But maybe no one's listening  
And you might lose it all, my darling, yes you might  
  
_

Vaughn couldn't look at the stage without seeing Will and Sydney.  Vaughn thought that he had gotten over his jealousy of Will.  Tonight proved otherwise.  He envied that Will could sit in public with Sydney.  And he envied Will because he would soon be sleeping in Jess' bed.    
  


_This is your new thing now  
And it feels so good to doubt you  
I could almost live without you  
But not quite, not quite  
  
_


	5. Signals

Will's Girl 

**Disclaimer:** Everything Alias is the property of JJ Abrams, Bad Robot Productions, ABC, and Touchstone.  Please consider this a humble tribute to the genius of the Alias characters and plotlines.  No harm intended.

**Rating:** G

**Feedback:** Make my day -- please leave a review!

Author's Note: 

**Chapter Eighteen – Signals**

The crowd applauded wildly when the trio finished the set.  The three of them stood together at the front of the stage, smiled, and bowed.  Then, while the applause continued, the three of them made their way to a small table near the bar that had been reserved for them.

Hanson came over immediately with a round of drinks, congratulated them, and made Jess an official job offer.  Eventually, Hanson got up to tend to his regular patrons.  Jess, Quinn, and Guy stayed together at the table talking and laughing.

Several of Will's co-workers had moved to the center table and were trying to talk to Will about his trip, but Will was clearly distracted.  He kept glancing nervously towards Jess.  

After his co-workers had left, Sydney said, "Will, just go over there and introduce yourself, for God's sake.  You haven't been able concentrate on anything else since she stepped on that stage."

"What in the world makes you think she'd be interested in meeting me?" Will asked, playing it up.

Sydney was taken by surprise – considering the situation, she didn't think that he was going to argue with her.  Francie stepped in, "Maybe she's not into macho men… uh… I mean maybe she likes sensitive writer types."

Will gave Francie an exasperated frown that could only be fully appreciated by good friends.  Sydney, on the other hand, smiled at Francie's jab.

"Seriously, Will," Sydney said, putting her hand on his shoulder in a gesture of support, "You have a lot to offer…"

"Like you're straight," Francie jabbed again.

Sydney did her best to suppress another smile at Will's expense.  "You're attractive, funny, intelligent… what woman could resist your charms?"

Francie started looking around the room and pointing at women, "That one… and that one… and that…"

"Francie!" Sydney scolded.

 "What?" Francie asked laughing at her own joke, "Will knows I'm kidding."

Will gave Francie a flat stare, "I need another drink… Waitress?"  
  


*****  
  


Weiss' and Vaughn's 'dates', which were also CIA officers, had gone to the bathroom.  Weiss hopped into his date's chair.  He put his elbow up on the table and leaned into Vaughn.  "So, what do you think?"

Vaughn took a quick drink of his beer.  "I think he'd better make a move soon or I'm going to kick his ass."  Vaughn sighed.  He couldn't wait to get out of the club.  The whole evening had become something like a bizarre dream.

"Give the guy a break, Mike," Weiss said.  "Look at those two pretty boys that are flanking her.  Would you have the balls to go hit on her with those two fawning all over her?"  Vaughn considered the two musicians for the first time and decided that Weiss was right.

Both men were tall, at least 6'2", and well built.  The drummer looked like he had just come from a photo shoot for Tommy Hilfiger – he wearing a pair of navy slacks and a white button down, had wavy, dark brown, hair, blue eyes and a fresh, Midwest farm boy look.

The "Piano man", as Vaughn had already labeled him, looked more like a professional musician.  He also had blue eyes, and wore his light brown hair in one of those trendy, longer styles that made his hair occasionally fall across his eyes.  All the better for when he gave the women his sultry look from his place on the stage.  He wore a bright blue shirt with matching tie, and a European style suit.  This guy knew that he was good looking.  He knew that every female in the club was panting for him, and he enjoyed it.  He strutted around the stage and would rock his hips seductively.  Vaughn disliked everything about the guy.

"So, what can we do about that?  Those guys might never leave her side," Vaughn said.

"Then, we've got to get her to leave them," Weiss said like the solution was obvious.

"And how are we supposed to do that?  The Agency gave up the mind control experiments in the 60s." Vaughn said sarcastically.

Weiss stood up.  "Watch and learn, my friend, watch and learn."  Weiss slowly raised his arms up over his head in an enormous stretch.  Then he dropped one shoulder down, and then dropped the other shoulder down.  He stretched both arms up one more time as he looked in Jess's direction.

Vaughn followed Weiss's eyes to see that Jess was watching Weiss, and nodded slightly – just enough for them to notice, but not enough that anybody else would.  Weiss sat back down smiling broadly.

"What was that?" Vaughn asked.

"Keep watching, grasshopper," Weiss replied.

Within a minute, Jess got up from the table and went to the bar, presumably to get another drink.  Vaughn looked at Weiss who was wearing a Cheshire cat grin.

"You signaled her to go to the bar?" Vaughn asked incredulously.

"Uh huh," Weiss replied proudly.

"What, did you guys set that up earlier?  Did I miss something in the agent-handler SOP?"

Still grinning, Weiss said, "Nope.  It's from college."  Weiss looked at Vaughn.  "You know, you're at a party and you need some help – you're stuck talking to some long-winded bore or you're trying to impress somebody -- we had signals.  One stretch means come help me, two stretches means meet me at the bar, and then it just gets more complicated after that."

After a moment Vaughn said, "Lucky for Will you two were so sly in college."

Weiss turned back to look at Will's table, "Let's just hope that he is smart enough to take this opportunity."  Vaughn also turned to look towards Will.  "And quick too.  Jess won't be able to hang around up there for long."

At Will's table, Francie was giving a humorous account of Will's dating history when without warning, Will got up from the table and walked towards the bar.

"Was it something I said?" Francie said laughing.

Sydney watched as Will approached Jess.  "Maybe," Sydney said with a smile.  "I think he's going to talk to the singer."

Francie and her boyfriend turned around to see Will walk up behind Jess.  "You go Will!" Francie said.

Jess felt a soft hand brush against her elbow and come to rest hesitantly on her forearm.  She turned around to see Will.  He smiled nervously and said "Hi."

Giving him an unsure look, Jess replied, "Hi."

"Uh, I know that… I'm sure that…" Will stumbled nervously.  Jess cocked her head to the side and gave him a faint smile.  He looked into her eyes and his nervousness faded.  He gave her his most charming smile and leaned towards her.  As his face got close to her, he moved his hand up to brush her hair away from her ear.  He moved his lips close to her ear.  Even though under different circumstances Jess would have already had him down on his knees, she couldn't help but smile at his original approach.

"You are an incredibly beautiful woman, and I'm sure that you get hit on all the time," Will whispered.  "I want you to know that I'm being totally sincere when I say that I would like to get to know you better… not because of your looks or the way you sing, but because I know you are so much more than those things."  

Will paused briefly and placed his hand lightly on the small of her back.  "What can I do to convince you that my intentions are pure?"

At first, Jess' eyes were filled with disbelief.  But once Will pulled back and she looked into his eyes, she smiled and a slight blush rose on her cheeks.  They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity to their sizable audience.  

Finally, Jess leaned in to Will, pressed her lips softly to his ear and said, "I'm generally a cynic, but this inventive approach has won you the honor of buying me a cup of coffee at the café across the street.  You can detail your intentions there."

Jess pulled back to look at him again.  They smiled at each other and Will nodded his consent.  Jess turned to the bar and picked up three drinks.  "Wait here, okay?"  Will nodded again.

Jess walked back to her table and set the drinks on the table and told Quinn and Guy that she was leaving with Will.  They were concerned about her leaving with a stranger.  She gave them each a friendly kiss on the cheek and said, "You guys are sweet, but don't worry about me.  I'm an excellent judge of character."

While Jess was saying good night to Quinn and Guy, Francie and Sydney were softly applauding Will.  Will mouthed the words, "Don't wait up."

When Jess rejoined Will, he held out his left arm to her.  She looked at him and smiled at his gentlemanly gesture.  She put her right hand into the crook of his arm and they walked out of the club.

In the back of the club, Vaughn and Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.  After a brief silence, a thought suddenly occurred to Vaughn. "Hey!  Did Jess ever use the signals on me?" he asked.

Weiss just looked at Vaughn and laughed.


	6. Practice Run

Chapter Nineteen – Practice Run 

Will stared at his desk calendar.  Thursday.  He focused on a note circled in red ink: 11:30 - Lunch with Rory.  He looked at his watch.  10:51.  He sighed heavily and looked at his computer monitor.  He was supposed to be writing a feature on an 83 year old woman who was driving cross country on her Harley Davidson motorcycle, but he had managed only two sentences.  And they weren't very good sentences.  
  


Will had spent every evening that week with Jess.  Sunday night they had stayed at the café talking until it closed at 1:00 a.m.  They'd gone to see a movie, spent an evening at the club for her second performance, and took in a concert in the park.  They had plans that evening to go to Syd's house and have supper with Syd, Francie, and Tony.  Each evening they ended up back at the house – Jess' house – talking.  It would be the same this evening.    
  


Jess and he had modified the plan somewhat.  Instead of Will moving in right away, he would just stay over every night, and then officially move his stuff in six or eight weeks.  Jess thought that if he moved in too quickly it would arouse suspicion.  Tonight was the first time he would stay over at her place.  
  


Will looked down at his hands disgustedly.  They were sweating.  His stomach was churning.  His legs bounced uncontrollably.  He was nervous.  Will felt this way before each meeting with Jess.  But, once he was with her, he always seemed to be able to find some calmness in her deep green eyes.  
  


"Jesus!" Will jumped when his cell phone started vibrating.  "Damn nerves!" he complained.  He plucked his cell phone off his pants with an exaggerated motion, then opened it and answered the call.  "Will Tippin."  
  


"It's Vaughn."

"Hey," Will replied.  
  


"Weiss and I want a status on Practice Run.  Can you and Ghost Writer meet us tonight?"  Practice Run was the code name for the operation.  Jess' code name was Ghost Writer, and his was Shakespeare.  Will wondered briefly who was responsible for coming up with code names.  He made a mental note to ask Jess.   
  


"Yeah, sure," Will responded.  "Has to be before dinner though."  Will had actually been trained on how to maintain a conversation without giving any information to curious bystanders.  It was the only part of his training that he had used.  
  


"5:30?" Vaughn asked.  
  


"Got it," Will replied.  
  


"Regular place," Vaughn reminded him.

"Sounds good.  Later."  Will ended the call and returned his cell phone to his waistband.  He looked at his watch again and frowned.  It was only 10:55.  He turned back towards his monitor and continued to stare blankly at it until it was time to leave for lunch.   
  


*****  
  


The walk from the music store to the restaurant hadn't taken as long as she thought.  Even though she stopped to window shop several times, she still arrived at the bistro ten minutes early.    
  


Jess wasn't really one to window shop, but stopping to look in a store window every now and then allowed her to keep track of her tail.  He'd been following her since she left the music store.    
  


Jess chose a shaded outdoor table where she had clear view of the people on the sidewalk.  Her tail, wearing an expensive suit and matching sunglasses sat down at a table behind her, close enough that he would be able to hear their conversations.  It would be difficult for her to keep an eye on him.  
  


She ordered two glasses of ice water and pretended to study the lunch menu.  She thought back to the previous evening at the concert in the park.  Jess couldn't help but smile remembering Will's awkwardness as he kissed her for the first time.  He reminded her of a shy adolescent.  He touched his lips to hers so lightly that she wasn't even sure if he had made contact.  She played Mrs. Robinson to his Benjamin.  She turned the kiss into a more believable, adult type kiss.    
  


Jess couldn't believe they had been together four nights before he kissed her.  She wondered if he was usually that way or if it was the situation that made him so timid.  

She spied Will as he turned the corner.  It was his hair that gave him away.  Most of the people out for lunch in this part of LA wore suits and ties and very conservative hairstyles.  Will's hair always looked a little different.  Messy in a whoa-he's-got-way-too-much-mousse-in-his-hair kind of way.  Jess was trying to picture what he would look like without mousse when she spotted his tail.  Trying to look like a tourist, the man was wearing a baseball cap, polo shirt, and shorts.  Her instincts told her the man was not just a tourist.

Jess analyzed Will as he walked down the sidewalk.  Slightly taller than the average man on the sidewalk at that time, he was wearing a white button down shirt, sleeves rolled up, and crisp, tan Dockers.  The look on his face was familiar to her -- furrowed eyebrows, taught lips, and darting eyes.  Where had she seen that look before?  Vaughn!  _That_ was Vaughn's trademark look.  Only six months with the Agency and already Will had 'the look'.  Jess felt a wave of sadness.  
  


As Will approached the bistro, he nervously scanned the lunch crowd.  When he saw Jess, his look of concern faded immediately and he smiled.  She smiled at him as he approached the table and stood up to greet him.  
  


"Hi!" Jess said reaching both hands out to him.  
  


"Hi," Will said taking her hands.  
  


Jess kissed Will as though they had been together forever.  Will momentarily forgot what he was doing as he gave in to her kiss.  Afterwards Jess leaned into him for a hug.  
  


"I've got a tail," Jess whispered in his ear.  "Suit and sunglasses at one o'clock."  Will nodded his head mutely.  "And, you do know you've got a tail too, right?"  
  


"No," Will replied softly in her ear.  
  


"Navy polo and Dodger's cap," Jess said.  Will watched over Jess' shoulder as the man walked into the bar and took a seat with a good view of the outdoor tables.  
  


"Just took a seat in the bar," Will reported.  
  


"Swell," Jess said sarcastically.  
  


Jess pulled away, and Will held her chair for her as she sat down.  He sat down across from her and smiled as he looked her over.  She was wearing a straight, yellow tank dress, and flat brown sandals.  Her hair was pulled back in barrettes, and she was wearing a heart shaped diamond necklace on a silver chain that rested in the hollow of her neck.  "Rory, you look beautiful," Will said, "As always."  
  


"Thank you," Jess replied with a slight smile.  
  


The waitress approached and took their orders.  When she had left, Will reached across the table and took one Jess' right hand in his.  He checked over Jess' shoulder to see 'suit and sunglasses' looking directly at him.  Will looked back at Jess, "So, what exciting things have been happening at Mom & Pop's Music Shop this morning?"  
  


Jess laughed lightly.  "Let's see, I re-organized the classical sheet music so that we can actually find what we're looking for.  I had two lessons, one with an incredibly precocious but highly talented seven year old, and one with timid housewife.  And, my favorite part of the morning: reacquainting myself with a few of my favorite Beethoven sonatas.  
  


"And yours?"  Jess inquired.  
  


"A lot of staring at my computer and my watch," Will blushed just briefly.  "Lunch just couldn't come fast enough."  
  



	7. Here & There

**Chapter Twenty – Here and There  
  
**

Jess stopped at the gym on the way home.  She was a new card carrying member of the Four Seasons Health and Fitness club.  Her tail, now wearing jeans and a t-shirt, seemed to be interested in becoming a member as well.  She watched him from her seat on the recumbent bikes as he talked with one of the personal trainers.  
  


There were more people working out than Jess expected for 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon.  She was aware of a man approaching her.  Jess didn't bother to greet the man.  She preferred to work out alone, and was not interested in casual conversation.  
  


The man sat down at the bike next to her and started programming his desired workout.  Jess focused on the monitor in front of her that displayed a computer-generated landscape.  
  


"You know what would really motivate me on these things?" the man said.  "A bike ride through some gang neighborhood at night."  
  


Jess laughed, but didn't dare make eye contact with him.  She recognized the voice, and the last thing they needed was for anybody to connect the two of them.  
  


"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  


"Just wanted to see how things are going," Weiss said as he started pedaling slowly.  
  


"I thought there was a meeting tonight."  
  


"I don't want a mission debrief, I want to know how **you** are doing," Weiss replied.  
  


Jess smiled.  It felt good to know that somebody understood what she was going through.  "I've got a tail," Jess warned.  
  


"I know," he replied.  "Mr. Potential Member up front there."  After a pause he said, "Are you trying to avoid answering my question?  How are you doing?"  
  


Jess sighed and pedaled faster.  "As well as can be expected," Jess said.  
  


"Cover too boring?" Weiss asked.  
  


"No, not really.  I'm enjoying getting back in to music," she said.  "And the gig at the club is really fun.  Thanks for setting that up."  
  


"Don't thank me.  You got that job all by yourself."  They pedaled in silence as Mr. Potential Member looked their direction.  When the trainer escorted the man to the juice bar, Weiss continued.  "So, cover is good.  Is Tippin behaving himself?"  
  


Jess laughed as she though back to his kiss in the park.  "Yes, he has been the perfect gentleman."  Weiss remained quiet, knowing that she would eventually admit something that she considered to be a weakness.  He knew her very well.  
  


"Even though Will is very interesting and entertaining, he's not the one I want to be with right now," she finally said.  
  


Weiss nodded silently.  They continued their workouts in silence.  As Jess started into the cool down phase Weiss said, "Well, I don't know if this will help you or not, but Mike has been a mess all week.  He can't focus on anything, he's misplacing things, missing meetings, and has begged me to go out every night."  
  


It didn't help her.  She felt sad for him.  "He's avoiding spending time at his house," she said.  
  


*****  
  


Will picked Jess up at her house.  After 20 minutes of erratic driving they were both satisfied that they had lost their tail.  Following their established procedures, they knocked on the back door to the bar.  Weiss opened it and escorted them to the upstairs room.  
  


Jess' heart skipped a beat when she saw Vaughn standing over a table in the back corner of the room.  Even though the room was dimly lit, Jess couldn't miss the trademark Vaughn look of concern.  His eyes locked with hers.  He smiled at her but it was too late.  She had already seen his loneliness… his desperation… his confusion.  Jess returned his smile hoping that Vaughn could not see those same emotions in her face.  
  


The briefing was short.  Yes, Will and Jess were being followed a good percentage of the time.  No, they had not been able to determine know what organization was responsible, but odds had SD-6 as the favorite.  Yes, the house was still 'clean'.  Yes, Weiss and Vaughn agreed that Will should wait for an official move.  Yes, every time Jess looked at Vaughn he quickly looked away.

As Will and Jess were walking towards the stairs, Vaughn suddenly blurted out, "Jess, you got a minute?"  Weiss managed to shoot Vaughn a warning glare before Jess and Will could turn around.  
  


Jess met his stare, "Uh, yeah, I guess so," she replied.  
  


There was an awkward silence as the four just stood there and exchanged glances, then Weiss, plastering on his most professional face, asked, "Do you need us?"  
  


Vaughn looked at him.  "Uh, actually, no."  
  


"Good, because we need to get down there and check the car for tracking devices," Weiss said in his most professional tone.  
  


Will thought Vaughn's request was odd, but since Weiss seemed okay with it, Will turned and followed Weiss down to the parking lot.  "Tracking devices?" Will asked.  "Wouldn't it have been better to check for those when we first got here?"  
  


Vaughn and Jess stared at each other.  She slowly approached him and stopped just a few inches from him.  She fought her urge to fling herself at him.  He reached out for her in his familiar way, put his hands on her hips and pulled her into a long, desperate kiss.  His hands explored her body.  She pressed her body against his.  In between kisses, they tried to talk.  
  


"Oh God," Vaughn said.  Hands exploring.  
  


"I've missed you so…" Jess was cut off with another of Vaughn's kisses.  Bodies pressed together.  
  


"Jess, I don't know if…"  Jess refused to let him finish.  Blood rushing.  
  


"Mike, you have to…"  Breathless gasps.  "**We** have to…"  
  


"I know," Vaughn said, slowing the rate of their kisses.  He wrapped his arms around her and held on to her as if she were the only thing keeping him from drowning in his own emotions.  He breathed deeply, taking in her unique scent.  
  


She clung to him.  "Mike, are you okay?"  
  


No.  The answer was no.  He wanted to break down and cry hard… like he had when his dad died… like he had the day after he and Sydney had come so close in his office.  "Yes," he replied softly.  
  


"Yeah, me too."


	8. Acting!

**Author's Note: **I know it's confusing, so just a little reminder that Jess and Rory are the same person.

Make my day and leave me a review!

**Chapter Twenty One – Acting!**

Sydney looked around the dining room table.  Francie was giving Rory the dirt on Will's past girlfriends.  Will had tried to change the topic, but Francie had refused to be distracted.  So Will gave up and was quietly making his way through a bottle of wine.    
  


Rory listened to Francie with a mild smile, occasionally offering Will reassurance through a touch or a quick term of endearment.    
  


Tony relaxed back in his chair and just watched Francie.  He didn't say much, which was probably why he got along so well with Francie.  
  


Sydney smiled cynically.  Three of the five people at the table were acting.  The three of them were many things, but most of all they were skillful actors.  At least there was a balance for once.  Two of the four people at the table knew **what** she really was.  And two of the four knew **who** she really was.  Only one person knew both who **and** what she was.  Will.  And he loved her in spite of them both.  
  


Sydney was so grateful that Will had stood by her.  He never once blamed her for what his life had become – not for what happened in Paris; not for being tortured in Taipei; not for the shabby CIA safe houses; not for risking his life to save her; not for having to join the CIA; not for having to become a stranger in his own life.  One time he told her that he would do whatever it took to keep her in his life.  And he had.  No other man in her life had ever done more for her.  
  


Sydney's heart fluttered, and a blush rose on her cheeks when she realized that Will had caught her staring at him.  He reached and put his hand on her arm reassuringly.  "Are you okay?" he asked softly, not wanting to interrupt the other conversation.  
  


She was surprised to feel tears building up at the corner of her eyes.  She commanded them to retreat.  "Yeah, fine," she said and smiled at him.  
  


"You did not, Will Tippin!" Rory turned to him.  "You dated your assistant?  Who was only 19 years old?"  
  


"I… well, she… you know…" Will was visibly flustered as he was most any time somebody mentioned Jenny.  "19 is legal dating age, I believe.  And, she sure didn't look like she was 19," he said with a salacious smile.  
  


"She may not have looked 19, but she sure acted like she was 15," Sydney said with a giggle.  
  


Will bolted from his chair and took the two steps required to put himself standing at Sydney's side.  By the time Rory was able to ask for an explanation, Will had his hand over Sydney's mouth.  "I think what Sydney was trying to say was that Jenny was uh… very energetic and… uh enthusiastic, which could be a characteristic of a 15 year old.   Right Syd?"  He slowly removed his hand from Sydney's mouth, but she was laughing too hard to reply.  
  


*****  
  


Jess had volunteered to help Sydney do dishes.  Jess washed, Sydney dried the dishes and put them away.  Jess had felt Sydney's eyes on her during the meal.  She was familiar with the tension.  She had been in that position all too often –the receiving end of envious stares.    
  


It was somewhat different with Sydney, though.  It was much more complex.  Jess was certain that Sydney was envious of her relationship with Vaughn.  Sydney and Vaughn were attracted to each other… Vaughn had all but come right out and said that.    
  


But Jess sensed that there was something more to Sydney's reaction to her.  Was Sydney jealous of her and Will's relationship?  Will was probably Sydney's best friend.  Jess asked herself if she would be jealous if the roles were reversed and she had to watch Eric with Sydney.    
  


Jess wondered if it was all about competition.  She had witnessed the side of women where they compared themselves to other women… looking for flaws… examining weaknesses.  Jess glanced at Sydney out of the corner of her eye.  No, Sydney seemed too self confident to be threatened by Jess.  
  


And, as for her own feelings, Jess couldn't help but resent Sydney for her relationship with Vaughn.  Jess loved Vaughn and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.  She knew that Sydney was a very real threat to her happily ever after.  But Jess tried not to think about that.  She seriously needed Sydney on her side.  
  


Jess wanted to ease the tension between them.  She hoped that as they got more familiar with each other the tension would dissipate.  Getting familiar was all Jess could hope for; it was nearly impossible to truly know anybody in their profession.  Jess hoped that doing dishes together would be a step towards familiarity, albeit a small one.    
  


Jess laughed at herself.  She had thought that working with other undercover agents would be easier than working alone.  But it wasn't.  Now everything she did or said seemed superficial.  And Jess hated superficial.  
  


After the requisite polite chatter on what a wonderful house Sydney had and what plans they each had for the weekend, they fell into an uncomfortable silence.  Jess strained to find a topic that they could talk about where neither one of them had to lie.    
  


As if Sydney had read her mind, she said, "I really enjoyed your show the other night.  You are very talented."  
  


Their eyes met for the first time _ever_.  "Thank you," Jess replied.  
  


"Do you like your work?" Sydney asked.  
  


Jess hesitated, "You mean singing at the club?"  
  


"Not just that, all your work."  
  


Jess glanced at Sydney out of the corner of her eye.  Sydney was staring out the window into her back yard.  "_All_ my work?" Jess repeated.  
  


Sydney turned to face her, "Yes, _all_ your work.  Everything you do that results in a paycheck."  
  


Jess smiled, thankful that Sydney had asked the question in such a way that she didn't have to lie.  The corner of Sydney's mouth turned up just a little.  There was and understanding between them.  "Generally speaking, yes, I do," Jess answered.  She returned her eyes to the dishwater.  "There are certainly some days when it can be a nightmare…"  
  


Sydney, looking back out the window, laughed, "I can relate to that."  
  


"But, I feel that my work has value – that I'm making a difference -- and that gets me up each morning."  Jess paused.  Sydney was nodding her head sadly.  "How about you?  Do you enjoy your work?"  
  


Sydney thought for a moment.  "I used to, but now, not so much."  They made eye contact again, and in that glance another understanding had been shared.  Now it was Jess' turn to nod her head sadly.  After a moment, Sydney returned her eyes to the back yard.  "How about Will?"  
  


"How about Will?" Jess asked not understanding Sydney's question.  
  


Sydney put her eyes on Jess, "Do you _really_ like Will?"  
  


Jess met Sydney's stare and tilted her head slightly.  "You mean, do I _honestly_ like Will?"  Sydney nodded.  "Yes, I honestly like Will."  
  


They stared at each other for a while as if sizing each other up.  Finally Sydney said, "Good, because if you hurt him, I'll have to kick your ass."  
  


Jess looked at Sydney's serious expression and knew that she wasn't just showing bravado for the sake of their cover.  She smiled slyly and nodded once, then returned back to washing the plate in her hand.  Sydney looked out the window again.  Jess chuckled quietly.  "That would be something see," she said.  
  


Sydney also chuckled, "It certainly would."  One final understanding.  
  


*****  
  


Will was leaning against the wall, just around the corner from the kitchen, holding his wine glass.  He was on his way into the kitchen to see how Jess and Syd were getting along, when he heard Sydney's question.  He had stopped, out of their view, and listened.  After their conversation was over, a goofy smile appeared on his face.  He raised his glass in the air as if he were giving a toast and whispered, "To Will."  
  



	9. Under Covers

**Chapter Twenty Two – Under Covers**

They made it back to Jess' house around 10:30.  As Will walked into the house, he felt incredibly awkward.  The previous evenings, he had felt quite at home.  But this evening was different.  Maybe it was because he was carrying a duffel bag full of clothes, a toothbrush, and a big can of mousse.  
  


Jess was already headed down the hall towards the bedroom.  Will fidgeted a bit before calling to her, "Uh… Jess?"  
  


"Rory!"  Jess shouted from the bedroom.  She had to warn him about that every night.  
  


"Sorry.  Uh, Rory?"  
  


"Yeah?"  She stuck her head out of the bedroom to look at him.  
  


"What should I… uh… where do I …" Will held up the duffle bag like it was a dead rat that he'd just found.  
  


"Oh," Jess giggled at his naivety.  "Just, bring it back here, Will."  She disappeared into the bedroom.  
  


When Will walked into the bedroom, Jess was in the bathroom changing clothes.  She hadn't bothered to close the bathroom door, and Will was able to see her bare back reflected in the mirror.  He was so startled to see flesh that he dropped his bag.  Nothing except her bare back, but Will still felt like he was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing.  He turned his back to the bathroom and looked around the bedroom trying to find something to take his mind off what he'd just seen.  
  


"This is nice," he said and then berated himself for being so lame.  
  


Jess came out of the bathroom.  "It's okay."  
  


He turned to face her.  She was wearing a loose fitting, gray tank t-shirt, and loose fitting, boot cut, black exercise pants, hanging low on her hips, showing off her midriff.  She was barefoot.  She was reaching up to pull her hair into a ponytail, which made the tank shirt pull up showing off even more of her midriff.  
  


Will swallowed hard, hoping that she didn't see his eyes travel down her body.  "So, this is my bedroom?"  
  


"It's **our** bedroom, Will," she said.  
  


Will momentarily forgot what his name was.  "Uh… we… you… I…" he stuttered.  
  


Jess laughed.  "Will, for a reporter, you sure seem to be having a hard time finding words this evening."  
  


Will blushed, but smiled.  "I guess, this whole thing is just making me a little nervous."  
  


"It's okay, Will.  Seriously.  We're going to sleep in the same bed for the same reason I insist that you call me Rory all the time," Jess explained.  
  


"Right, I just…"  
  


"Will, you'll be safe, I promise," Jess said smiling.  As she walked past him she grabbed his bicep and squeezed it playfully trying to get him to relax.  
  


He followed her with her eyes.  "Yeah, but are you safe?"  
  


"Funny, Will!" Jess said as she walked out of the room.  "You're a funny guy!"  
  


Will got comfortable, and went to find Jess.  She was out in the garden.  The landscape lights provided just enough light to make out her form.  He recognized what she was doing.  
  


He walked through the sunroom and onto the patio.  He paused at the edge of the cement to admire her 'Proud Warrior'.  

"Hey," she said without breaking her pose.  
  


"Hey," Will responded.  "Mind if I join you?"  
  


Jess stopped and released her pose.  She looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time.  "You do yoga?"  
  


"Yes, kinda… I mean, I studied it several years ago, but I sorta lost track of it," Will responded.  
  


Jess didn't try to hide the fact that she was examining him with her eyes.  Broad shoulders holding up his navy t-shirt.  Surprisingly defined biceps and triceps.  Loose fitting, gray sports shorts.  Lean, chiseled quads and calves.  Bare feet.  When exactly had he developed that physique she wondered.  And why hadn't she noticed it before now?  
  


She looked into his eyes and smiled, "Well, then, lets get you reacquainted with it."  
  



	10. Evening of Truth

  
  
**Chapter Twenty-Three – Evening of Truth  
  
**

They were sitting on the couch.  Jess was reading a book, some novel by an author Will had never heard of.  Will had relaxed into the cushions, leaned his head back and had his eyes closed.  The yoga workout had relaxed him, but he was certain that if he went back to bed he would only toss and turn.  Who was he kidding?  No matter what time he went back to bed he was going to toss and turn.  
  


He replayed the evening in his mind.  He couldn't even count the number of lies he, Jess, and Syd had thrown around.  Then he let his mind wander back over all the years he and Syd had been friends.  How many lies had she told him in those years?  Was anything she shared with him real?  He was shocked at how little he had really known about her.  Will had spent quite a bit of time thinking about honesty since that evening in Paris.  
  


Will glanced at Jess.  "Hey, Jess," Will addressed her.  Jess looked at him and started to correct him but he refused to let her.  He shook a finger at her and said, "Uh-huh.  I'm using your real name for a reason."  Jess frowned and put her book down but let him continue.  "How much of what you've told me in the past week is true, Jess?"  
  


She was caught off guard.  "What?" she asked.  "Will, do you understand what we're trying to do here?"  
  


"Yeah, yeah.  Trying to get my life back," he said.  
  


"And making sure that you're safe," Jess added.  
  


"Yeah, and I appreciate that.  Really.  But I also thought that you were supposed to be my mentor," Will paused, "And eventually my partner," he said referring to Vaughn's promise of ops in their future.  
  


"Yeah, so?"  Jess asked.  
  


"How in the world can I trust you as a partner during an op when I don't even know who you are?"  
  


Jess had been caught off guard again.  She thought about what he said before she answered.  "You're right," she finally conceded.  "I guess that I've been working solo for so long that I've forgotten the dynamics of a partnership."  
  


Will grinned.  "So, start talking.  Has anything you've told me about yourself been real?"  
  


Jess sighed heavily.  She hated talking about herself – her real self.  To talk about it meant she had to confront all the horrors she had experienced.  She thought back over the week.  "Well, the big ones were true… that I'm a widow with no parents or siblings."  
  


"I'm sorry," Will said sympathetically.  
  


"Don't be," Jess brushed off her loneliness.  "It makes this job much easier."  
  


Will studied her and saw the sadness in her eyes.  "No family at all?"  
  


Jess was silent for a moment.  "Just Eric.  He's always been like a brother to me."  
  


"Eric?" Will asked.  
  


"Weiss."  
  


"Weiss?  As in Weiss, your handler Weiss?"  Will couldn't hide his surprise.  
  


Jess smiled.  "Yes.  I've known Eric all my life.  Grew up next to each other, even went to college together."  
  


"No shit?"  Will smiled.  He thought back to one of their recent conversations.  "So, did you really grow up in Maryland?"   
  


"A truth," Jess replied.  
  


"Duke University?" Will asked.  
  


"Class of 89!  Go Blue Devils!"  
  


Will smiled.  "Any other truths?" he asked.  
  


Jess thought back over the week.  She had been doing this for so long, she sometimes had trouble remembering what was her and what was her cover.  "Let's see… I **do** enjoy my job at the music shop and I love being at the club.  I only drink plain coffee – no cream, no sugar, no foam.  I hate running.  Actually, I hate most any form of exercise except yoga.    
  


"My political beliefs lean to the left, and my religious beliefs are influenced by my protestant upbringing, my college interest in eastern philosophy, and some new age concepts.  
  


"I believe that marijuana should be legalized…"  
  


"Did you inhale?" Will interrupted her monologue.  
  


"Oh, yeah…"Jess confirmed with a smile.  She continued on, "College basketball is the only sport worth my time.  I prefer reading to watching TV, and movies to plays.  My favorite food: anything with pasta.  My favorite drink, next to coffee, is red wine."  Jess paused.  "Does that about take care of it?"  
  


Will grinned, "Not even close.  Do you like your job?  Not your cover, your real job."  
  


Jess took a deep breath and turned her eyes away from him.  "I used to, but not so much any more."  After she heard how that sounded she looked at him and spoke quickly, "I don't mean this particular op… it's just… I've had…" she looked away from him again, "I'm guess I'm getting a little burnt out."  
  


Will had some experience in interviewing people, and he knew that he had to be careful with his questions or he would lose her.  "So, why did you join in the first place?"  
  


Another long sigh.  She hadn't given that question thought in a very long time.  "There were a lot of reasons, but I guess the biggest one was I hated the idea of living my life by a Day Timer."  
  


Will smiled with understanding.  "So, how about your ops?  Vaughn told me that you've done a lot of long term undercover ops.  What have they been like?"  
  


"You know, Will, I still need to practice a little tonight, and it's getting late," Jess said glancing at the baby grand piano in the next room.  
  


Will reached out and put a hand gently on her arm, "Don't shut me out now, Jess."  
  


She turned to look in his eyes.  He was pleading with her.  "Will, I understand you want to learn more about me, but I still think it's dangerous.  If you start thinking about me more as Jess, you'll have a more difficult time convincing others that I'm Rory."  
  


"I get it.  I want to talk about you, and you don't want to.  I'm not going to back down, and I doubt that you will either.  So what do we do?"  
  


Jess stood up and stretched, "I guess we have to compromise.  How about one night a week we can sit down, and talk about our real lives."  
  


"All truth?" Will asked.  
  


Jess thought about Vaughn.  "All truth," she agreed.  
  


"Okay.  When do we start?" he asked.  
  


"Why? Do you need to put it in your Day Timer?"  
  


****  
  


As Will headed back to the bedroom, Jess sat down at the piano.  An insight she hadn't told him yet was that playing the piano was comforting to her.  If something was bothering her, if she was sad, or uptight, she would loose herself in the music.  It wasn't unusual for her to play for hours at one sitting.  Tonight, she sought comfort in the classics.  
  


After a couple of Liszt compositions, she decided to finish up with Beethoven's _Pathetique Sonata_.  Immediately after the final chord, her cell phone rang.  It just happened to be within her reach.  
  


"Hello?"  
  


"I really liked that, what was it?"  
  


Jess shook her head at the sound of his voice, but couldn't help smiling.  "Did you not take any music appreciation courses in college?"  
  


Vaughn laughed quietly.  "They didn't offer any of that _stuff_ at my school… I took classes like chemistry, calculus, and economics."  
  


"Yeah, right," Jess said with a small laugh.  
  


"So, what was that?"  
  


"You _should_ like that particular piece, Mike.  It fits us… Pathetique Sonata by a composer you may have heard of… Beethoven?"  
  


"Didn't he used to be the front man for Van Halen?" Vaughn joked.  Another laugh from Jess.  The tone of Vaughn's voice changed, "It was beautiful, Jess."   
  


"Mike, why are you calling this late?"  After a pause she added, "Why are you calling _at_ _all_?"  
  


Vaughn chose to ignore her questions.  "I see Will does yoga…" he tried to hide his jealousy.  
  


"Yeah," Jess replied simply.  After another, longer silence Jess said, "Mike, do you remember what I told you about not asking for anything more than you needed to as a handler?"  
  


He was silent.  He knew that she was right.  Talking like this just made his desire stronger.  After a pregnant pause, he said, "I have just one question for you…"  
  


"Yeah, what's that?" she asked.  
  


"Will you play Misty for me?"  
  


She laughed again, barely audible.  "Go to bed, Mike," Jess said and she hung up.  She stared at her cell phone for a long time like it would somehow turn into him if she stared at it long enough.  
  


And then she played Misty… from memory.  Her baby grand piano was next to her screened in porch and when the French doors were open her music could be heard throughout the neighborhood.  Vaughn, who was stretched out on a lounge chair on his patio smiled.  "That's my girl."  
  



	11. The Intelligence Factor

Chapter Twenty-Four – The Intelligence Factor  
  


**Author's Note:** I love to read your reviews!  Whenever I come here to read reviews, I usually feel obligated to post another chapter! ;)

Monday afternoon.  Another, extremely boring, debriefing.  Me, Jess, Vaughn, and Weiss.  Now they're pretty sure that the surveillance teams were SD-6, and the frequency of surveillance is dwindling.  The really great news it that I've gotten pretty good at knowing when I'm being followed.  
  


The bad news is that I'm slowly losing my grip on my feelings.  I'm sitting next to Vaughn, staring at Jess who is talking with Weiss in the far corner of the room.  I don't know what it is that he wanted to talk to her about, but they're speaking in hushed voices and she doesn't look happy.  She looks sad – sympathetic towards Weiss.  Something happened in his personal life, I'm guessing.  I've never seen Jess get a look like that when talking about work.  
  


I've been staying at her house for close to four weeks now.  Sunday nights have come to be known as our "Evening of Truths".  That's the night that she humors my inquiry into her real life.  Even though she agreed to it, it usually isn't easy to get information out of her.  I've found that a bottle of red wine seems to make it easier for both of us.    
  


Last night, I finally got around to asking about the tattoo on her back.  We spent the entire evening on the story behind that.  When I initially asked her about her ops, she had left Raven Song out.  But last night, she shared that most awful truth with me.  She even broke down and cried.  She cried for 20 minutes straight.  I ended up with her in my arms and her tears soaked into my shirt.  It was the least I could do since I could find no words to comfort her.  Suddenly my dentist appointment in Taipei doesn't seem like such a big deal.  
  


Having her in my arms like that felt wonderful.  I hate myself for that – that I could derive pleasure from her vulnerability.  But it was the first time that we had touched for reasons other than to protect our cover.  Occasionally we wake up in the morning to find ourselves entwined, and once in awhile we do a partner yoga workout.  But last night was different.  A new kind of intimacy.  
  


I've got to stop thinking like this!  Not a moment goes by when I'm in her presence that I don't want to reach out and touch her… hold her hand… brush her auburn hair aside and kiss her elegant neck.    
  


It's Sydney all over again.  Except that I wasn't undercover and didn't have to treat Syd like she was my girlfriend.    
  


Initially, the dating cover was a lot of fun.  Now it's just painful.  I can kiss her, I can hold her, but it's all a lie.  
  


My thoughts turn to Vaughn.  He has been quiet for an awful long time.  I wonder if I would feel better if I shared my feelings with him.  I wonder if he would have any words of advice.  A casual glance in his direction and I'm quite certain that Vaughn isn't one of those guys that likes to share his feelings.  There are very few of us.  
  


Vaughn is also staring towards Jess and Weiss.  I return my eyes to them as well.  "She's amazing," I say breaking the silence.  
  


"Mmm-huh," he agrees without actually speaking.  
  


I watch Weiss as he talks with her.  "How has Weiss managed to know her all these years and not be attracted to her?  I mean they even roomed together in college, didn't they?"  
  


"Yeah, I think they rented an apartment together their senior year," Vaughn confirmed.  
  


"Amazing.  I don't know how he can keep his distance," I say.  I try to stop myself before I say it, but I can't.  "I've only been with her for a month, and I'm having a difficult time keeping my thoughts and feelings professional."  I try to make it sound like a casual conversation – like it's something that has just now occurred to me.  
  


Vaughn glances at me.  I can't look at him… don't want to see the disappointed look on his face.  After more silence, this time rather awkwardly I say, "So, here's where you give me the benefit of your years in this game and tell me how I keep my mind on the op and not on the girl."  I still can't face him.  
  


Was that a sigh from Vaughn?  What, am I the first agent to ever have this problem?  Finally, he looks at me again.  "You're talking to the wrong guy, Will.  I was never able to stop _myself_."  
  


I think no farther than the surface of his words.  "You mean you've fallen in love on an op?"  
  


"No, I mean I fell in love with Jess."    
  


His words hit me like a Mack truck.  My heart has suddenly taken up residence in my stomach.  "What?" I exclaim as I jerk my head away from Jess to look at him.  
  


He looks me in the eyes.  "I fell for Jess," he says and then pauses briefly before adding, "I'm still in love with her."  
  


A million different thoughts race through my mind.  I know the smartest thing would be for me to keep my mouth shut.  No, the smartest thing for me to do would have been to not start this conversation at all.  So much for my intelligence.  
  


"Does Jess…?" I try to ask, but he interrupts me before I can finish.  
  


"Yes."  
  


"And you two are…?"  I'm beginning to think I'm a masochist.  
  


"Yes… at least we were before this op," Vaughn says.  
  


My heart, still resting in the pit of my stomach threatens to stop beating altogether.  How could I have made the same mistake twice?  How could I have fallen in love with a woman I can never have?  
  


Anger.  Resentment.  Despair.  Humiliation.  I cannot give words to all the feelings coursing through my body.  
  


As calmly as I can, I ask, "What the _hell_ were you thinking, man?"  Anger and resentment hold the lion's share right now.  
  


His response is non-defensive.  "I was thinking she was the best officer for this op.  I was thinking that she would be an excellent mentor for you.  I thought… I thought I could handle this.  I… I thought…"  
  


"You thought that when this op was over we'd all go our separate ways and we'd all live happily ever after?" I ask, anger propelling my words.  
  


"Yeah, that's what I had hoped," he replies, his voice full of remorse.  
  


"Fat chance!" I reply.  
  


He has no response.  Just a pathetic, sad look on his face.  He turns his eyes back towards Jess.    
  


I feel the sudden need to get the hell out of the room… to be away from Vaughn and Jess and Weiss.  As I storm past Jess, I hear Vaughn trying to call me back.  
  


Leaving without Jess probably isn't the smartest thing I've ever done, but in relation to other recent events, it also isn't the stupidest thing I've ever done.  
  



	12. Take Down

**Chapter Twenty Five – Take Down  
  
**

**Author's Notes:** I hope you don't mind if I start changing voice and POV like this, but I need the practice writing 1st person, and I was getting a little bored.  
  


This chapter was inspired by the classic Alias fanfic, _Say What_ by Snagga, and the movie _Miss Congeniality_.  
  


***** 

Dammit!  I knew that we should have told him earlier.  It's my fault… it's my fault.  I know.  But, how was I supposed to casually bring that up?  "Hey, Will can you pass me the salt, and oh, by the way, your partner and your handler are sleeping together."  Dammit!  If he just would have asked me during one of our truth evenings.  Dammit!  
  


I tie off the white gi pants and walk out into the practice area.  There are eight pairs of people, mostly men, sparring on the matted floor.  Two trainers are pacing back and forth watching the fights, making suggestions, and occasionally breaking in to show better technique.  
  


And last night hadn't helped things.  He asked about Raven Song.  He asked a lot of questions about Raven Song.  And I answered every one.  That was the deal, right?  All truth.  That was the most I had talked about it since I'd returned to LA.  I couldn't even tell Mike the things I told Will.  And I ended up crying in his arms.  Stupid.  Stupid.  Stupid.  
  


But I never told Will the real reason I took that op – that I thought taking it would give me a chance to return and live a normal life… a normal life with Mike.  I told him everything else, why couldn't I tell him that?  I'm pathetic.  
  


I'm not surprised to spot Will in one of the more active pairings.  But I am pleasantly surprised to find that I know the trainer working Will's side of the mat.  When Ben sees me, his face lights up and he practically runs to me.    
  


"Jess!" he says as he gives me a big hug.  "I heard you were back, but by the time I looked you up, you were already on another op!  You workaholic!"  
  


He lets me go.  "I love what I do," I lie.  
  


He knows better, I think.  He laughs anyway.  "Well, you look great!"  I look down at the standard issue CIA tank top and gi pants.  So does he.  "Are you here to work out?"  He is obviously surprised.  
  


"Sort of."  I nod my head towards Will, "Can I have a go at the new guy?"  
  


Ben smiles.  "Tippin?  Sure.  He seems to be having a bit of a control problem tonight, though, so watch yourself."  
  


I smile knowing exactly why.  "Don't worry about me," I say.  
  


"Oh, I'm not worried about _you_," Ben replies.  He approaches Will and his sparring partner.  I follow.  "Rogers, take a break.  I've got a new partner for Tippin."  
  


I will always remember the look on Will's face when he turns around and sees me.  Incredible surprise.  Then anger.  Then flat out disgust – like he had just figured out that his high school sweetheart wasn't a virgin.  
  


And damn but he looks sexy!  No glasses.  Sweat glistening on his face and those well defined, broad shoulders, soaking his tank t-shirt.  Bare feet.  God, I'm a sucker for bare feet… they're so intimate.  I mean you can know someone for years and never see their bare feet.  
  


I give him a small smile.  He sets his jaw and glares at me with those cool, blue eyes, much cooler than usual, I note.  Ben and the other agent move away as I approach Will.  
  


His voice is as cold as his eyes.  "What are you doing here?"  
  


"Looking for you," I say.  
  


"How did you…?"  
  


"Find you?" I finish his sentence.  "Will, I've got your schedule memorized.  It's kind of my job."  
  


"Of course.  Your job." he replies sarcastically.  Okay, so I should have been more careful with my choice of words.  He was obviously hoping that I'm here for more reasons than just my job.  Shit.  Maybe I am.  "Now what?" he asks.  
  


As if on cue, Ben shouts at us like a Marine drill sargent, "Tippin, Anderson, you planning on fighting off attackers with evil glares?"  
  


Since I have my back to Ben, it's safe for me to smirk.  "We practice."  I take a slightly defensive stance.  
  


"You've got to be kidding," he says.  "I'm not fighting you."  
  


"Why not?" I taunt him with a 'bring it on' gesture with my hands.  "_I'm_ the one you're mad at.  No reason to beat up on poor Rogers."  
  


Will makes the mistake of putting his hands on his hips.  I don't know if it's a woman thing or a partner thing that's making him so reluctant to fight me.  It doesn't really matter.  If he wants me to kick his ass while he stands his moral high ground, then I'm more than willing to accommodate him.  
  


I drop to the ground, brace myself with my hands, and swing a leg around, knocking both his legs out from under him.  As he lands on his back on the mat, I stand back up and return to my defensive stance.  
  


"Why don't you tell me why you're so angry," I say.  
  


He won't even look me in the eyes.  He just lying on the mat staring up at the ceiling.  Finally, he rolls over on to his side and starts to get up.  For a split second he's on his hands and knees and I debate on whether I should give him a kick in the ribs to help get him in the fighting mood.  But I never get to make that decision because in an instant he's on his feet, spinning around and delivering a side kick, a beautifully executed side kick, to my solar plexus which sends me flying backwards and coming to a stop on my back on the mat.    
  


As I suck in air, I wonder if that was full contact.  I kick myself back up, and land on my feet.  He's a good four feet away from me still glaring in my direction.  At least this time he has the good sense not to leave his body wide open to me.  
  


"You lied to me.  Vaughn lied to me.  I thought we were beyond the point of lies," he says.    
  


His words are an attack, so I protect myself.  Both physically and verbally.  I quickly step into him and throw an elbow at his face.  He easily blocks it.  Then I land a solid punch in his solar plexus.  It's his turn to suck air, and no, that isn't my full contact punch in case you're wondering.  I turn my hip and step one leg behind his knee, and easily throw him to the mat.  
  


From the side, I hear Ben again, "Follow through Anderson!  Are you sure you're a field agent?"  
  


I don't dare take my eyes off Will.  "We never lied to you.  Did either one of us ever say we weren't seeing somebody?  Did I ever say, 'Ugh, that Vaughn, I'd never sleep with him!' ?"  
  


That's it.  That's what it takes to get him in a fighting mood and I make it easy for him since I haven't moved away from him since the throw.  He grabs one of my ankles and yanks it up in the air.  I land ass first on the mat beside him.  He's on me immediately, straddling me at my waist and pinning both my wrists to the mat.  
  


Now that's a move that you don't often see in the CIA practice room.  No matter how dirty sparring gets, it is rare for one fighter to pin another like that.  I momentarily lose my focus as I feel his strong thighs push in on my ribcage.  As I feel his heat warm my skin.  I look into his eyes and see that they have changed – they're not cold any more… now they're filled with another emotion.  His lips… I find myself wondering what it would be like to kiss those lips.  
  


What in the hell am I thinking about?!  I kiss those lips dozens of times a day.  Get your head back in the game, Anderson!  
  


He leans his face down closer to mine.  I watch his lips move seductively as he speaks, "You never thought about mentioning that fact some Sunday evening?" he hisses.  
  


I know it's going to totally piss him off, but it's instinct.  I slam my forehead into his.  As his head snaps backwards his torso follows, and he releases his grip on my wrists.  I roll him off and fight off another kind of instinct that's telling me to follow him over and straddle him in the same way he had just straddled me.  
  


I scramble back to my feet.  He's quick to get up as well.  "Yeah, the thought crossed my mind," I say as I attack again with a side kick-kidney punch-knee to the solar plexus combination.  The only one he can block is the knee shot.  
  


He counters with a left cross to my ribs, roundhouse kick to my abdomen, and a right cross to my jaw.  I know the ribs were at least bruised, and I taste blood in my mouth.  If that isn't full contact, then I'm in serious trouble.  I now have a new priority: end this conversation as quickly as possible.  
  


"But I didn't know how to casually bring it up," I say as I spin around and pop him just above his right ear with a jumping spinning back kick.  Once I land on the mat, I do a twisting front kick to his ribs, hoping to give him a matching bruise, and finish up with a roundhouse to the left side of his head.  He spins around and hits the mat.  I seriously enjoy the sound of him hitting the mat.  
  


I continue my explanation as he pushes himself up, "To just blurt something like that out would be presumptuous.  I would be assuming that you would find that information significant for some reason."  
  


Suddenly I feel my legs go flying up in the air from a well timed leg sweep and now I am in the familiar position of being on my back on the mat and Will climbing on top of me.  But this time I don't let him get in position.  I roll over taking him with me.  The tension in his body has changed now.  It's gone from an adrenaline twitch to a sexual hum.  To my chagrin, my body responds in kind.  We continue to roll across the mat a flurry of fists, elbows and knees, all the while leaving a distinct trail of pheromones.    
  


Will finally breaks free and does a pretty good Jackie Chan impersonation by bridging his body up off the mat and jumping to a standing postion.  I scramble to my feet as well.  
  


"Oh, like I might find that important because sometimes I forget that my life is just a CIA op?"  He comes at me with a jumping front kick.  I block it.  "That I wish you were with me for a reason other than it's your job?"  He attempts a roundhouse kick that I also block.  "Or maybe because the longer I'm with you the more I want to **be with you**?"  A wicked punch to my stomach.  Literally and figuratively.  His words take me by surprise and I'm unable to block his punch.  
  


The force of the punch causes me to stumble back a few steps.  My body is telling me to fake an injury and get this fight over with, but my ego refuses to yield.  I attack him.  I throw every kick and punch in my arsenal.  Very few of them make it past his blocks, but when they do, I feel an almost erotic pleasure.  I end the fight with one more throw.  He's on his back once again.  I jump up in the air and aim a knee at his throat.  At the last moment, I move my knee so that instead of delivering him a well-deserved death, I land mostly on his chest with one knee millimeters from his neck.  The force on his chest is enough to push all the air out of his lungs leaves him gasping for air.  
  


"Yeah, that's **exactly** what I was thinking," I say breathing heavily.  
  


Once he's caught his breath, he looks me in the eye for the first time since we started sparing, and says, "Why in the world would I think that?"  
  


My hormones are arguing with my ego – give him passionate kiss or knock his block off.  I come back to my senses when I hear Ben again, his voice thick with sarcasm, "Congratulations Tippin, you're dead."  
  


"In more ways than one," Will says softly.  
  


I sigh heavily and roll off him.  I stand up and offer him my hand.  He takes it, grudgingly, and I help him up.  Now I have to look up at him.  I hate that.  "Look, Will, I'm sorry that we didn't tell you sooner.  What else do you want from me?"  
  


"You **know** what I want," Will says.  Those words affect me more than I thought possible.  
  


------------

Hello?  Anybody out there?  If you're reading this fic, let me know.  No need for me to post here any more if no one is reading it here.


	13. By Post

Chapter Twenty Six – By Post 

**Author's Note:  **Thanks for reviews, guys.  I see that my humble little fic is being read, and I am very grateful for that.  If you could post a review every once in a while, and let me know you're still there, I'll keep writing!

_Sydney love,  
  
_

_I can't stop thinking about the last time we met.  Each time my foot aches, I think of you.  You have left your mark on me.  As I have on you… how is your leg darling?  
  
_

_Do you remember what I told you the last time we met?  You are risking the lives of every on you know with your refusal to join us.  Your mother is not a patient woman, but lucky for you, she is a fair woman.  
  
_

_She is graciously giving you one last opportunity to spare those around you any further harm.  I will be in contact with you soon to discuss the details.  
  
_

_Sydney, your mother's plans will not be complete without you by her side.  And neither will mine.  
  
_

_Looking forward to seeing you soon.  
Your devoted, S.  
  
_

Vaughn held the letter in his hand.  He looked at Sydney.  "Well, I figured we hadn't heard the last of him or your mother, but this approach is certainly not what I expected," Vaughn said calmly.  
  


Sydney stared at him for a second, expecting more.  "That's all you've got to say?  Vaughn, that psycho knows where I live, and he's in LA!"  
  


"We don't know that he's in LA," Vaughn said.  
  


"The postmark…"  
  


"Doesn't mean anything," Vaughn interrupted her.  "He could have had anybody mail that for him."  
  


"That's true," Sydney admitted, "But I've got a feeling.  He's in LA.  And he's following me."  
  


Vaughn studied her face for a moment.  "I can arrange for protection, Syd.  Or I can get you round the clock survelliance," he said.  
  


"That's just what I need, Vaughn!"  Sydney was clearly getting edgy.  "For an SD-6 tracker to catch sight of my CIA protection."  
  


"Well, what about that?" Vaughn asked.  "Has security section said anything about you having a tail?"  
  


"No."  
  


A momentary silence.  Vaughn didn't even want to suggest it, but knew he had to… it was his job.   "Syd, maybe it's time for witness protection."  
  


"For me and every one who has the misfortune of knowing me?" Sydney asked despair filling her voice.  "Including you?"  
  


That thought had never occurred to Vaughn.  He arched one eyebrow at the possibilities.  He pulled it back down when Sydney frowned at him.  "It's not ideal, I know," Vaughn said.  
  


"It's not an option," Sydney said.  
  


They sat in silence for awhile.  Finally Vaughn said, "Then our only options are to wait for Sark or…"  
  


"Find my mother before she comes for me," Sydney said.  
  



	14. Frustration!

Chapter Twenty Seven – Frustration!  
  


**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the feedback over the weekend guys!  I hear you loud and clear.  You don't like short chapters.  So, since this chapter is short, I'm posting two so hopefully you won't be disappointed.  Enjoy, and keep in touch.

What a long freakin' week this has been!  In retrospect, my life would be so much simpler if I had delivered him that knee to the throat on Monday night.  Everything has changed.  He's changed.  He's either giving me the cold shoulder or trying to light my fire.  There's no comfortable in between.  There's no comfortable _anything_ when we're around each other.

He rarely talks to me except when we're in public, and he does so then only because his job and his life depend on it.  And when we are out, his kisses are different.  More frequent, and the kind that can't be shown until after 9:00 on network TV.  He touches me differently too.  More frequent.  More sexual.  More possessive.  If I didn't like him so much, I would have kicked his ass by Wednesday.  
  


That's right, I like him.  Dammit, I like him.  When he touches me or kisses me in public like that, I like it.  It makes my heart beat faster and the next thing I know I'm picturing him naked.  But, don't get me wrong… it still makes me mad that he's doing it.  
  


And speaking of him being naked, now all of a sudden, he's taken to sleeping only in boxer shorts.  So here I am, lying in bed as close to the edge as I can and he's curled up next to me – spooning me.  I've confronted him about this several times this week, but he claims that he's sleeping through it all… that he's not doing it on purpose.  
  


The clock says 3:30.  I've got to get out of here.  There's no way I can get any sleep like this.  I get out of bed and slink into the bathroom.  Close the door.  Flip on light.  Eeeek!  Is that me in the mirror?  I look like hell!  I guess that's what four nights without sleep will do to you.  
  


What I really want to do is take a cold shower, but I can't.  That would give him too much satisfaction.  Splash some cold water on my face.  Retreat to the living room, leaving bathroom light on and bathroom door open.  I hope it wakes the jerk up.  
  


Flop on couch, remote in hand.  All I need is a little distraction.  But instead of distracting me, channel surfing is actually making things worse!  All romantic comedies, sexy music videos, and infomercials for Boflex.  I turn off the TV when even Spock in an old Star Trek rerun is starting to look sexy.  
  


I've got to get myself together, and there's only one way to do that now.  I'll call Eric as soon as the sun is up. 


	15. What Kind of Guy Do You Think I Am?

**Chapter Twenty Eight – What Kind of Guy Do You Think I Am?**

What in the hell am I doing in a hotel bar on a Friday night?  I'd much rather be at home.  But Weiss had pleaded with me to go out.  And since he had spent all day in my office scouring every scrap of information we had on Irina, I felt obligated to him.    
  


But, if I had to go out, there was only one place I wanted to be… the club… at least I could see Jess even if I couldn't talk to her or touch her.  But Weiss had shot that idea down.  Said it wasn't healthy.  He's probably right.  
  


But honestly, the bar at the Radisson?  This place is **not** our style.  Murphy's Pub is our style.  Grumpy old men, just two beers on tap, and food so greasy that swallowing is optional.  Not this yuppie, techno-trash, nightmare of fancy mixed drinks and trendy appetizers.    
  


After 25 minutes of discussing Weiss' decaying marriage, we fall in to a silence interrupted only by one of us ordering another drink.  Just as well.  I'm having trouble concentrating on anything except Sydney.    
  


She refused to let me report Sark's letter to the Agency.  So Weiss and I had to look through the mountains of paper and electronic data on Irina by ourselves.  We were searching for any scrap that would give us a clue to where she is or what her plans are, but there was nothing.  A few random sightings in Europe and South America, but she never stayed around long enough for anybody to get any significant intel.    
  


I trust Sydney's instincts about Sark being in LA, and I certainly trust Sark to come through on his threats.  I've called her every day since that meeting just to make sure she's okay.  I haven't had a decent night's sleep since I read Sark's letter.  And last night I had a nightmare that she ran away with Sark.  What a joke.  
  


Suddenly, a martini glass is placed in front of me.  Not a martini, though.  At least not a traditional one.  I can smell the pineapple juice and the Malibu rum from 18 inches out.  
  


I look the bartender in the eye.  "What's this?" I ask.  
  


"It's a bikini martini," she says with a wink and a smile.  
  


Nice smile.  Rest of her is nice too.  I smile back at her sheepishly.  "Actually, I know what it is," I admit.  "Why is it sitting in front of me?  Do I look like a bikini martini kind of guy?"  
  


She gives me a careful look and smiles again.  "No, you don't, sir." Oh man, I thought she was flirting with me until she hit that 'sir'.  "But the lady at the end of the bar seems to think that you might enjoy it."  
  


The bartender moves on to service other customers, giving me a clear view of the mystery woman.  She's sitting on the other side of the square bar, looking directly at me.  Asian.  No, maybe not Asian.  Maybe just trying to look Asian.  Long, shiny, black, hair.  Angular eyes, or at least made up to look angular.  I couldn't see much of what she was wearing – the bar blocked my view – but what I could see screamed red and tight.  There was something unusual about her fair complexion – it didn't seem quite right.  As my eyes travel over her body, a sly smile forms on her lips – her bright red lips that are very nearly the same shade and intensity as her dress.  
  


I give her a smile and a polite nod.  She raises her matching drink to me as if in a toast.  I let my gaze fall down to the surface of the bar.  No way in hell I'm drinking this drink.  In fact, I can barely stand the smell of it.  It's Jess' favorite mixed drink and just smelling it overwhelms me with loneliness… Jess' favorite mixed drink…   
  


I snap my head back up to get another look at the woman, but she's gone.  Then I spot her making her way through the crowd towards me.  Her eyes are locked on mine and she gives me a familiar smile.  I can't breathe.  I actually cannot bring air into my body.    
  


As she gets closer to me, she looks away, and the smile vanishes.  As she walks by she drops something in my lap in one of the smoothest brush passes I've ever been part of.  Instinctively I put my hand over the item without looking down.  I explore the item with my fingers, and I realize why we're at a hotel bar.  
  


I sit at the bar as patiently as I can, and try to finish my beer at a leisurely pace.  As bottom of the glass becomes visible, I address Weiss without looking at him, "You were in on this obviously?"  
  


He keeps his focus on one of the TVs hanging from the ceiling, "Uh huh," he confirms.  
  


"Damned foolish thing to do," I say, hoping he'll disagree.  "Seriously dangerous."  
  


He was quiet for a few moments.  "Relax, Mike.  Everything is taken care of.  Just go have some fun."  
  


I grip the room key tightly.  I'm overwhelmed with gratitude.  "Thanks, Eric."  
  


I throw a tip on the bar and slide off the stool.  "Hey, Mike," he says to me before I slip away.  "If you need any back up, you know where I'll be."  He laughs.  
  



	16. The Twelfth Floor

**Chapter Twenty-Nine – The Twelfth Floor**

"She had to get a room on the twelve floor, right?" Vaughn asked himself when he reached the tenth floor.  "I should have taken the elevator!"  Initially, the stairs seemed like a good idea – it would be easy to spot a tail.  But now that he hadn't seen even one other person in the ten flights he'd climbed, he judged himself as overly paranoid.  
  


He heard Weiss' voice, "Relax, Mike.  Everything is taken care of."  
  


Finally reaching the twelfth floor, Vaughn took a few moments to catch his breath outside room 1224.  His heart was still pounding when he put the key in the lock and opened the door.  
  


It turned out to be a suite.  The first room was totally dark, and the only light in the bedroom came from a low wattage lamp on the desk near the window.  He was hoping that Jess was going to meet him at the door, jump on him, wrap her legs around him, and kiss him until he passed out.  But she wasn't there.  In fact, he didn't even hear her.  He didn't hear anything.

His senses were on high alert.  Awful visions flashed through his mind.  If he had been wearing his gun he would have had it in his hand by now.  He probably should have just called her name, but instead, he inched quietly towards the bedroom.  When he reached the bedroom and still saw no sign of her, he really began to panic.

He cleared the corner of the bathroom so that he was fully in the bedroom.  By the time he saw her crouched down, pressing herself against the nearest wall, it was too late.  Jess jumped up, grabbed both his arms and flung him towards the bed.  
  


"Officer Vaughn!" she exclaimed as she followed him to the bed, "I'm so glad you accepted my invitation!"  
  


He had to move quickly to roll over on his back before she jumped on top of him.  She leaped on to the bed, straddled his hips, and bent down over him to kiss him all in one swift movement.  
  


They weren't satisfied with just kissing for very long.  Jess unbuttoned Vaughn's shirt and ran her hands over his bare chest.  Vaughn groped at the tight red dress Jess was wearing.  
  


Vaughn broke away from her briefly, "What the hell is this?  A wet suit?"  
  


Jess sat upright and pulled the entire dress off in one motion.  "Latex, I think," she said with a laugh.  "What about the wig?"  
  


He had been so excited to be with her that he hadn't even noticed that she was still wearing the long, black wig.  He eyed her lustfully.  "I say it stays… at least for awhile," he replied with a boyish grin.  
  


*****  
  


When Will returned home that evening, he found Sydney waiting for him.  
  


"What are you doing here?" he asked obviously already in a bad mood.  
  


"That's quite a greeting," Sydney said.  
  


"Sorry.  Hi, Syd.  How are you?  And more importantly, what are you doing here?" Will said as he unlocked the door to the house.  
  


Sydney followed him into the house, closed and locked the door behind her.  "Jess called me.  She said that she had some things she needed to take care of this evening, and asked if I wouldn't mind staying here with you tonight."  
  


"You've got to be kidding me," Will replied.  He dropped his head and stood silent and motionless for several seconds.  Suddenly he yelled, "Dammit!" and threw his brief case across the room.  Since it was soft sided and mostly empty, it did little damage except to knock a framed photograph off the wall.  "I know **exactly** what she's taking care of!"  
  


Sydney had never seen Will act like that before.  "**What** is wrong with you?" she exclaimed.  
  


He turned to face her, his eyes illuminated with anger.  "Did you know, Syd?"  
  


Based on the way he was acting, Sydney figured that he had found out about Jess and Vaughn, but she wasn't ready yet to incriminate herself.  "Know what?"  
  


"Did you know that Jess and Vaughn were… are sleeping together?"  
  


Sydney sighed.  "Yeah, I knew."  
  


Will let go of a frustrated laugh.  "Of course you knew!  Why shouldn't you know?  Everybody else did!  Weiss knew!  Hell, I bet even your father knew!  But not Will!  Nooooooo… There's no reason to tell Will a little detail like that!"  
  


Will angrily pushed past Sydney and went into the kitchen.  He opened up the refrigerator and took out a beer.  He started to close the door and then had another thought.  He took out the entire six-pack of Amstel Light, grabbed a bottle opener from a drawer and headed towards the screened-in porch.  
  


*****  
  


Their first round of lovemaking was purely animal.  The second round was much more loving.  Both were highly enjoyable.  
  


They had taken a break for a late night room service order.  After the bellboy had left, they quickly got naked again and lay together in bed and snacked on cheese, crackers, and fresh fruit, while enjoying a bottle of merlot.    
  


"So, I saw Ben Miller the other day," Vaughn said through a mouthful of cheese.   
  


"Oh yeah?" Jess replied casually.  
  


"He said you and Will beat the crap out of each other during a workout Monday night."  
  


Jess laughed, "He's exaggerating."  She bit into a strawberry.  
  


"So, he didn't take it well?" Vaughn asked.  
  


"No, he didn't take it well.  And actually, he's still not taking it well," Jess replied.  "He avoids me as much as possible, and the rest of the time he just ignores me."  
  


"Surely not when you're in public?" Vaughn asked.  
  


"Oh, no.  In public he's playing games.  Some kind of vengeance I suspect."  
  


"What do you mean?" Vaughn asked, his concern visible.  
  


Jess looked at his face and wished that she hadn't told him that.  As she tried to find a way out of it, Vaughn's concern grew.  
  


"Jess?" Vaughn prompted her and tilted his head like he was about to scold a child.  
  


"It's not a big deal, Mike, really."  
  


"I want to know what's going on," he replied.  
  


She sighed.  "He's just changed the way he acts," she said knowing he would want more detail.  
  


"How so?"  
  


"He's kissing me differently.  He's touching me differently.  He's… he's…"  
  


"He's what, Jess?" Vaughn's tone was demanding.  
  


"He's teasing me.  He's trying to arouse me."  
  


"What?!" Vaughn couldn't have been more shocked if Will had come on to _him_.  "We're talking about Will Tippin, right?"  After a few moments thought, Vaughn's surprise went to anger.  "He's got no right to…"  
  


"He's just angry, Mike."  Jess tried to calm him down.  "We should have told him the truth from the beginning."  
  


Vaughn stewed in silence for several seconds.  "I guess we should have," he finally conceded.    
  


They finished off the remaining fruit and cheese in silence.  Vaughn looked into her eyes, "So is it working?"  
  


"Is what working?" Jess asked.  
  


"Is Will getting you hot?" he asked in that I'm-kidding-but-not-really tone.  
  


She looked at him and smiled broadly.  "Shut up, and make love to me again, Officer Vaughn."


	17. Fight Night

Chapter Thirty – Fight Night

I don't often find myself at the club this early in the day.  But then again, I don't often have a day like this.  I'm a bit surprised at the number of other people here at this early hour.  About two weeks ago Quinn started coming in to practice over the lunch hours.  As word got out, more customers started dropping in for lunch.  Now Rex is pressuring him to practice every day over lunch.  
  


I'd been telling Quinn that I'd stop by for a week now, but I never seemed to have time.  I don't really have the time today either, but I don't care.  I need something to get my mind off the op.  And off my love life.  Both are now officially a mess.  That became painfully obvious this morning.  
  


I forgot my portfolio of music at home and had to go back for it.  Will, who had been in bed when I left, was up and eating cereal at the breakfast bar.  He was obviously surprised by my appearance.  He glanced at me briefly, grimaced, and then returned back to his cereal.  
  


I had come to expect the cold shoulder treatment from him and all I really wanted to do was beat a hasty retreat.  But I couldn't.  I figured that the dark areas I saw on his face were just shadows cast by the kitchen light, but I had to make sure.  I mean it's my job to protect him.   
  
So I casually walked towards him like I was going to get something from the kitchen before I left.  As I got closer, I realized there were no shadows on his face.  Only bruises and cuts.  And one very pretty black eye.  
  


I slammed my portfolio on the breakfast bar, trying to get him to actually look at me.  It worked.  He looked me dead in the eye.  "What the hell happened to you?" I asked.  I was scared.  Scared that he ran into some SD-6 thug or one of Irina's troop, and I wasn't there to help him.  The thought of him being beaten senseless in some alley made me… well, I'd never be able to forgive myself.  
  


He gave me a cold stare that he reserved only for me.  When it became apparent that he had no plans to tell me what happened, I pushed him.  "Will, I am not leaving this house until you tell me what happened."  Another serving of cold stare.  "And neither are you."  
  


He exhaled with frustration.  "I had a meeting… with your boyfriend."  
  


What he was suggesting was so absurd that I laughed out loud.  But not for long.  "You're not serious!" I said.  "Mike did this to you?"  
  


"Yeah, he did," Will said bitterness coloring his voice.  
  


"Why?!" I demanded.  
  


Another frustrated exhalation.  "Why do you think, Jess?"  His eyes softened.  The muscles of his face relaxed.  His anger was transforming to sadness.  
  


I figured it was a rhetorical question, but I answered it anyway… with a jab.  "I thought fighting over girls ended in high school."  
  


He pointed a finger at me and with sarcasm said, "Oh ho!  You're funny!"  He turned his eyes back down to his cereal and resumed eating.  
  


"Hey!  I'm not done talking about this yet!" I said.  
  


"What, Jess?!"  The anger in his voice matched mine.  "What do you want to know?  You want to know who set up the meeting?  Vaughn.  You want to know why?  Because he wanted to tell me that I was out of line.  You want to know what I said?  I told him that **both** of you should have respected **me** enough to tell me the truth."  His face became redder with each word he spoke.  "You want to know who threw the first punch?"  He stood up and slammed his hands on the bar.  "Me.  You want to know how it ended?  It ended with both of our faces looking like this."  He pointed up to his face.  "It ended when we got too tired to throw any more punches…"  His voice was softening now...  The volume gradually decreased.  "It ended when he said that he honestly loved you…  
  


His voice was merely a sad whisper, "It ended when he told me how long he had been in love with you."

To say I was stunned would be an understatement.  I had no words to say, and no voice to speak with.  I felt the tears pushing at the corners of my eyes.  I stared at him – really studied him until I couldn't hold back the tears any more.  Then I grabbed the portfolio and left.  I drove to work, parked my car, and cried until I couldn't cry any more.  
  
And that was how I found out that my entire life has become a stunning disaster.  
  


I shake my head like that will get rid of the awful feeling I have, and I look around the club.  Rex, the club owner, is behind the bar, tending to the early lunch patrons.  He waves at me and motions me to come over to the bar.  As I approach, I see that he is talking to another man.  
  


"Here's one of the trio, now," Rex says to the man.  The man turns on his barstool to look at me.  Then he stands.  Chivalry?  Standing in a lady's presence?  If he only knew.  "This is Rory McAllister," Rex introduces me.  
  


The man reaches out to shake my hand.  "My pleasure," he says as he takes my hand and brings it up to his lips to kiss it softly.  Chivalry?  Maybe.  But it still gives me the creeps.  As he releases my hand (not nearly fast enough) he introduces himself.  "I'm Sam Langston.  I caught your show the other night, and I was an instant fan."  
  


"Oh, thanks," I say and try to give him a polite smile, but I imagine that it looks more like a sneer.  Even though he is no longer holding my hand, he still gives me the creeps.  He's young… can't be any older than 25.  Probably close to 6'4", he's got an athletic build, fair complexion, dark brown hair, and a matching goatee.  But his eyes.  There's something in his blue eyes that hints at danger.  Even though he's wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of Vans, he looks incredibly uncomfortable.  The pierced ear and the tattoo on his forearm seem sorely out of place.  
  


My cell phone rings.  Thank God for my cell phone.  As I pull the phone out of my purse, I dismiss myself from Rex and Creepy Sam.  I walk towards the side windows and answer the call.  
  


"Hey, it's Eric."

"God, I'm glad it's you!"  I really am.  I casually glance around to make sure no one is listening, "Have you seen Mike today?"  
  


"Yeah," he responds, his voice filled with amusement, "He looks like hell!"  He laughs.    
  


"You think this is funny?" I ask.  
  


"Sure I do," he replies.  "Don't you?"  He's still laughing heartily.  
  


"Do I think it's funny that Mike and Will got in a fight because of me?  No!  I don't!" Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach and the fact that Eric is laughing about it ticks me off on a whole new level.  "Can you explain any of this to me?  What in the world were they thinking?"  
  


"Hey, I've got a question," Eric says.  Is he trying to change the subject?  "What in the world were **you** thinking when you and Will faced off last Monday?"   
  


Is he trying to piss me off even more?  "That was totally different…"   
  


I'm unable to finish my sentence.  Eric interrupts me, "No, Jess, it's not different.  It's very much the same.  Obviously you and Will and Mike have got some things to straighten out.  But why you all think beating the crap out of each other will help is beyond me."  
  


I'm stunned to silence for a second time today.  If he wasn't my best friend, I'd…  
  


In my silence he speaks again, "So, I was wondering… When are you and Mike set to square off?  Because I'd really like tickets to that fight."  He's laughing again.  
  


"You know, if you weren't my best friend, I would have hung up on you by now," I actually manage to speak.  
  


He chuckles.  "I don't doubt it.  But, you know I'm right, Jess."  
  


I don't want to think about this any more.  I don't want to talk about this any more.  Right now, all I want is a way out of this mess.  "Is Mike going to resign as Will's handler?" I ask.  
  


"I doubt it," Eric says.  "The last thing we need is to give Devlin another reason to hawk us."  
  


"So now what do we do?" I ask.  
  


"We keep on.  Mike and Will are going to get over this.  And even if they don't they'll still be able to work with each other because they have mutual respect.  Guys are like that, Jess."  
  


"I wish **I** could get over it," I mumble.  
  


Eric chooses to ignore my mumbling.  "Now can we talk about what I called you for in the first place?"  
  



	18. Come By Me

Pretty much just fluff this time…  
  


Chapter Thirty One – Come By Me  
  


As I fold up my phone and return it my purse, I make a mental note to dig out the SD-6 case file and study everything on Sark.  Given the facts that 1) Sydney thinks he's in LA, 2) he has threatened her loved ones, and 3) he has nabbed Will before, there's a good chance that I will be meeting him in person.    
  


One more reason that today sucks.  
  


Suddenly, there's an arm around my shoulders!  It's pure instinct.  I grab the thumb and elbow applying pressure to the appropriate points.  I pull the arm away from me, step out, and twist the arm violently bringing the person down to their knees with their arm pinned behind their back.  
  


"Damn, girl!  I need that arm!"  
  


Crap!  It's Quinn!  An innocent bystander!   
  


I immediately release him and as I'm helping him up I look around to see how many people actually saw me do that.  Rex, Creepy Sam, and every other flippin' person in the place.  After all, they all came to see Quinn, so it makes sense that they'd be watching him wherever he goes.  Crap.  
  


"I'm sorry, Quinn," I say.  "You startled me."  
  


"I'd hate to see what you'd do if I actually scared you," he said in his adorable southern drawl.  He breaks the seriousness with a large smile.  "I'm really glad you're here today, Rory!"  
  


"Yeah, me too."  I smile at him.  "I'm looking forward to hearing you perform solo," I say trying to shake off the bad mood that's been following me all day.  
  


"No solo today, darlin'," he says as he grabs my hands and starts pulling me towards the stage.  "You and me are going to have some fun!"  
  


No, no, no, I do not feel like performing!  "No, Quinn, really, I just came here to relax and enjoy somebody else's music for a change."  We're getting closer to the stage.  No, no, no.  
  


He's wearing his most charming smile.  "Aw, I know you better than that," he says.  "You're only truly happy when you're creating music."  
  


The minute Quinn sets foot on the stage the small audience starts clapping and cat calling.  He's pulling me to one of the baby grand pianos.  "Is there anything I can say to get out of this?"  I'm pleading now.  I really don't want to be here.  
  


"No way.  Not today," he says as he pulls me down on the bench next to him.  "I just got this new piece of music arranged for two pianos and voice.  I can't wait to try it out!"  
  


I begrudgingly drop my purse under the piano bench as we start a quick review of the music.  Please let this be a short, fast song.  
  


It's an up-tempo composition by Harry Connick Jr, _Come By Me_.  This comes as no surprise, since from the beginning I've known him to be a Harry-Connick-Jr-wannabe.  We've performed plenty of HCJ's music.  Since it was originally written for a big band, the two piano parts are quite complex – trying to maintain the feel of the piece with only two instruments is a challenge.  The opening section will have me on the piano and Quinn will sing.  Then the middle section…  Ugh…    
  


"You really want 32 measures of alternating solos here?" I ask.  Improvising jazz solos is not one of my strong points.  Especially with an audience.  On the first run.  With an ugly mood.  This is going to be torture.  
  


"Oh yeah!  That's part of the fun!" Quinn says enthusiastically.  
  


Quinn is… well Quinn is quite an interesting fellow.  An odd mix of concert pianist and rock star.  He's really growing on me.    
  


He points out the measures where I'll try, pathetically probably, to create a jazz solo.  I mark them with a pencil.  Two eight bar solos for me and two eight bar solos for him.  I am relived to see that during his solos I just have to maintain a simple rhythm line, which he will continue during my solos.  
  


The final section of the piece has both of us playing some pretty complex melodies and more vocals for him.  Okay, after the review, I have to admit, it does look like a fun piece, even with the solos.  Maybe Quinn's enthusiasm is contagious.  
  


Quinn spins around on my piano bench, so that he is straddling me, and can still see past me out to the audience.  He counts off the tempo and starts singing.  Two beats later, I add the melodic support.   The melody is actually closer to boogie woogie than standard jazz.  And it's definitely mood lifting.  
  


Come by me  
Come talk to me baby  
Tell me how  
We can combine   
  


And now he loosens up… I mean really loosens up.  He's swaying to the beat of the music with his trademark zeal.  And he's playing it up like he's singing to me.  The lyrics lead him that way.  
  


Will you be  
My sunshine forever  
Will you be  
A friend of mine  
  


I'm suddenly feeling happy.  Huh, not ten minutes ago I was having my worst day since leaving Italy, and now I can't even remember why.  I'm smiling and swaying to the beat of the music.    
  


Try me out  
And if you get excited  
Take me home  
I'd love to be invited  
  


Now he stands up and plays out to the women in the audience.  They adore him, no doubt about it.  And he adores performing.  
  


Once we're there  
I'm sure you'll be delighted  
We can rock all night  
Wait and see  
  


Now he's standing behind me resting his hands on my shoulders, both of us moving in unison to the music.  We're having fun and the audience appears to be having fun also.  
  


_We might fit together  
That would be   
My lucky day  
Come by me  
Come love with me baby  
  
_

Quinn leans down to me, wraps his arms around my shoulders and rests his head against mine for a brief moment.  Then he realizes that his first solo is only two measures away.    
  


Maybe we  
Could run away  
  


I shoot him a look that says 'you better get yourself over to your piano quick!', but it's too late.  He's caught a little off guard, but quickly recovers by leaning over me and playing his solo on my piano with one hand keeping the other arm slung over my shoulders.  I put a little more bounce into my rhythm line for him.  Lucky stiff.  Freudian slip?  Hmmm.  
  


My first solo comes much more easily than I had anticipated, with the exception of the missing accompaniment that Quinn can't play because he's moving over to his piano.  
  


His second solo.  Now I'm alone on my bench, but his energy still surrounds me.  We begin to challenge each other with our music, each of us trying to out play the other.  Occasionally we exchange a smile, a wink, or a flirtatious head bob.  My second solo is finished and we move on.  
  


We come together for another 32 measures of alternating melodies, thankfully not improvised.  His piano substitutes for the saxophones, mine for the horns.  His covers the bass line, mine interjects the percussion.  
  


Then we 'bring it home', so to speak.  The melody in the last section requires Quinn to stay at the keyboard, but he still manages to play to the audience as he repeats the same lyrics.  He has a gift.  Probably more than one.    
  


_Come by me  
Come love with me baby  
Maybe we  
Could run away  
_  
The piece ends with flourish and as we release the final chord, the patrons start applauding and doing that 'woo-hoo' thing that I've never understood.  Quinn stands up and practically dances his way across the stage.  The pure music high that I'm feeling causes me to get to my feet as he gets close and throw my arms around him.  
  


"That was so much fun!  Thanks, Quinn, that's just what I needed!" I say.  
  


"We're a great duet," he replies.  I release him, hoping that he is not suggesting anything.  He only smiles and says, "You don't think we're done, do you?  This is practice.  We're not going to stop at one mediocre attempt are we?"  
  


He's kidding.  That piece couldn't possibly be performed more perfect than it just was.  But, I had so much fun with it I'm willing to take another go at it.  "Are you sure they won't get bored?" I ask referring to the audience.  
  


Quinn turns to address the lunch patrons.  He gives them his best smile and puts on that 'aw shucks' tone and says, "Y'all don't mind if we do that again, do ya?"  
  


They offer their approval through their applause.  
  



	19. Cat Fight

**Chapter Thirty Two – Cat Fight  
  
**

**Author's note:** Just a reminder that Jess' house is monitored by the CIA, and is totally secure.

***** The bad news: This is the last chapter that I'm going to post here.  I'm just not getting enough feedback here to make it worth my while to maintain this here.  If you're still interested in this fic, you can follow it on sd-1.com under the "Fan Corner/Fiction" board.  You don't have to be a member to read the stuff there, but you'll have to join if you want to leave feedback.  
  


**The good news: I've posted a lot more chapters on sd-1.com, so you'll have 9 or 10 new chapters to read there.**

**Thanks for being interested in this fic, and a big thanks to those who left feedback.  *******

  
As I knock on the door, I say a quick prayer that Will is home.  I don't like being alone with her.  Not for the reasons one would think.  Okay, well maybe for those reasons too.  But mostly because when I spend time with her I find it difficult to not like her.  And I don't want to like her right now.  What she has done to Will is unforgivable.  I'll never forget his utter despair that Friday night that I stayed over.  I have never seen him that depressed.    
  


I know that Vaughn also holds responsibility for it, but I place the majority of the blame on her.  Vaughn never meant to hurt Will.  He wasn't the one spending time with Will, seeing the changes in him.  **She** was.    
  


For the life of me, I can't understand how Will could let himself fall in love with her in the first place.  She's only with him because it's her job.    
  


I suppose that makes me the biggest hypocrite in the world.  
  


The door opens.  It's her.  I hope my smile doesn't look as fake as it feels, "Hi," I say.    
  


"Hey, Syd," she responds with a smile.  Could be fake, I'm not sure.  "What brings you way over here?"  
  


"I was just wondering how Will's intensive language course went this weekend.  Is he home yet?"  
  


She sighs and actually looks a little sad.  "No, he's not, and honestly I'm not even sure when he'll be home," she says.  "But you're welcome to come in and wait for him.  I could sure use some help eating all this food."  
  


I'm torn.  I want to talk to Will, but I don't want to spend any more time with her than necessary.  Especially without Will.  But I can smell the food.  Very clearly Mexican.  Very clearly made from scratch.  It smells wonderful and I haven't eaten yet.  
  


I decide to decline her invitation just on morals when she walks away from me leaving the door open, assuming that I am staying.  I follow her in only so that I can decline while looking her in the eye.  But, when I see the spread of food on the table, I change my mind.  Chicken enchiladas, shredded beef burritos, Spanish rice, refried beans, and fresh tortilla chips and salsa.    
  


"Wow, you made all of this?" I ask.  
  


She laughs.  "Well, with Will gone all weekend, I had a little time on my hands."  She motions to the table, "Have a seat, I'm just finishing up the sangria."  
  


She turns her back on me and starts chopping fruit on a wooden cutting board.  What the hell.  I might as well wait for Will.  And at least if I have to spend time with her, I can have some good food, and if I'm lucky get drunk.  That would certainly make it easier for me to get along with her.  
  


She finishes the sangria and brings it to the table, pours each of us a glass and then sits down.  She lifts her glass up and asks, "What should we drink to?"  
  


"How about we drink to Will?" I suggest.    
  


If she catches my evil stare, she doesn't let on.  "To Will!" she says enthusiastically and lifts her glass then takes a drink.    
  


Hmpf.  Who's the hypocrite now? I raise my glass silently and take a drink.  "Wow!  This is great!"  Seriously, it's the best sangria I've ever had.  
  


Jess smiles and nods.  "Much better than store bought sangria," she says taking a drink.  "Also, much more powerful than store bought.  So, be careful with it."  
  


That's rich.  Her warning me about _anything_.    
  
We spend most of the meal in silence.  We finish off one pitcher of sangria and she makes another one.  "We're going to regret this in the morning, you know," she says.  Another warning.  But, this time I don't mind her warning so much.  Must be the wine.    
  


After refilling our glasses, I follow her out to the screened-in porch.  She sits on the wicker couch and I sit in a chair facing her.    
  


A few silent moments then she asks, "So, what's it like being a double agent?"  
  


The sangria tells me to spill my guts.  My ego argues against it.  Don't open up to her!  She might think you actually want to be friends with her!  But, she is in a unique position to understand what I'm going through… in more things than just being a spy.  It would be nice to talk to someone who really understands.  In a few moments I'm candidly about my life.  
  


As we polish off the second pitcher of sangria, we meander around a variety of topics.  From serious to down right hysterical.  She talks about what it's like to be on a two-year undercover op.    
  


She talks about her husband Jeff.  I talk about Danny.  
  


Her worst op?  Raven Song.  She's doesn't tell me much about it, but I know what that means.  And I don't push her.  She asks about my worst op.  Noah.  
  
Her favorite part of the job?  She says it's that she gets paid for kicking people's asses.  I think she's just joking, but I'm not sure.  My favorite part of the job?  Making a difference.  
  


Her favorite movie?  Grosse Point Blank.  Mine?  Citizen Kane.  
  


How she relaxes?  Piano or yoga.  Me?  Wine, books, and friends.  
  


There's a small lull in our conversation, and I've had enough sangria by this time to just blurt it out.  "I hate what you've done to Will."  
  


She has been gazing out at the dark garden.  I watch her carefully as she drops her eyes to the ground, then briefly up to look in my eyes, and then back down to the ground.  When she speaks, her voice is soft and child-like.  "I do too."  
  


Her response takes me by surprise.  It came too easily.  Almost like it was rehearsed.  Maybe she doesn't understand the full impact of what she's done.  "He's hurting…," I say.  Her eyes remain on the floor as I speak.  "I've never seen him this way."  Still no response from her.  
  


I try a different approach.  "Do you remember back to that first supper we all had together?"  She looked at me and nodded.  "When I asked you if you really liked Will?  You meant that, right?"  
  
She sighs.  "Yeah, of course," she says.  "I really liked Will then, and I still really like Will.  He's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met."  
  


"Any chance it's more than that?" I ask.  I really want Will to be happy.  I want him to experience true love.  I don't think he ever has.  But, also, there is a selfish part of me that wants her to fall in love with Will just so she'll leave Vaughn.  The hypocrite title returns to me.  
  


Jess sighs and looks back out into the garden.  "Well, since this is the 'evening of truth', I guess I should be honest." She pauses.  "The honest answer to that question is," she looks back at me, "I try not to think about it.  If I think about it too much I'm pretty sure the answer would be yes.  And I just can't deal with any more complications in my life… not right now."  
  


Her statement hits a chord with me.  I understand.  But still, that doesn't make it right.  We sit in silence for a few moments.  
  


Finally, I my curiosity gets the best of me.  "Evening of truth?" I ask.  Jess explains their Sunday night ritual, but says that they haven't done it since Will found out about Vaughn.  She seems to be sad about that.  
  


"That is **such** a Will thing to do," I inform her.  More silence before I say, "In the spirit of the _evening of truth_, I just want you to know I'm pretty sure Will's in love with you."  
  


Jess studies my face for a few moments.  "Okay, that's just a little too much truth for one evening."  She smiles and looks back out at the garden.  "Actually, I've always gotten the impression that Will is in love with you."  
  


I'm a little surprised that she picked up on that.  "Will and I have been friends forever.  I'll always love him."  She looks at me now.  "And, there have been several times when we've gotten close to crossing that line over to a romantic relationship.  We've even kissed a couple of times, but it felt weird.  Like I was kissing my cousin or something."  Why did I just tell her that?  "We'll never be anything more than friends.  Like you and Weiss."   
  


"Mmmmm," and a nod is her only reply.  Then she looks out into the darkness again.  We're back to silence.  Finally, in a soft voice Jess says, "I'm pretty sure Mike is in love with you too."  
  


At first I don't recognize the name.  When I realize she's talking about Vaughn, I suddenly feel sick to my stomach.  I feel excited like a schoolgirl that just had a friend tell her the boy she has a crush on likes her.  And I feel incredibly guilty that I lust for her lover.   Jess' gaze remains steady on the garden.  I don't know what to say to her.  Since it is the evening of truth I tell her exactly that.  "Honestly, Jess, I don't know how to respond to that."  
  


She looks at me and says, "You don't have to respond, Syd."  A few moments pause, as we stare at each other.  "Hey, I remember that first night at supper you said you would kick my ass if I hurt Will," she said.  I laughed a little remembering the absurdity of that evening.  "Do you have any idea when you might be doing that, because I need to call Eric and let him know.  I'm pretty sure he'll want tickets."


End file.
